Poison
by KyKy-13
Summary: Kadaj was the poison running through Reno's veins. Deadly yet intoxicating. Can they look passed their differences and finally gain something they thought they could never have, or will the dark presence lurking deep inside Kadaj tear them apart for good?
1. Bitter Words

**DISCLAIMER:** The characters and story of FFVII belong to SqueEnix and not me. All that is mine is the plotline of this fanfic.

**WARNING:** Angst, violence, language, and future Male/Male action. :)

* * *

**C H A P T E R - O N E **

"Stupid Turk!"

"Rancid Remnant!"

"Ginger kid!"

"Mama's boy!"

Reno growled viciously as he stared into the pair of green cat-slit eyes slightly hidden behind a fringe of silver hair. He was standing now, his knuckles white around the handle of his electro-rod. The idle chatter of everyone around them had transcended into a deathly silence. The only sound Reno heard were his deep angry breaths and the thud of his own rapid heartbeat ringing in his ear.

Kadaj stared back at him from across the table. A sly little smirk played on the corners of his mouth. His Souba was still sheathed on his back, but Reno knew at any moment, the young Remnant could strike. He was quick and unpredictable.

Months ago, Reno would have laughed at the thought of ever meeting those Mako eyes again. He had a reason. Kadaj was supposed to be dead.

After the defeat of the Silver-haired trio, it was said that all troubles would finally be vanquished. Every case of Geostigma had been cured, and Midgar was to be rebuilt back to its former glory. Reno continued his job as a Turk along with his partner Rude, working under the command of their boss Rufus Shin-Ra. He still kept in contact with Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart, and the members of AVALANCHE, but only so often. They were no longer brutal enemies, but couldn't really be considered good friends.

But, just mere months after the death of the silver-haired brothers, they had suddenly resurrected. And with that resurrection, the threat was born again. The threat of the next return of Sephiroth. With the brothers being sons of Jenova and Kadaj being the chosen host for the infamous one-winged angel, there was no telling when Sephiroth could return.

Reno had no clue how they had come back, but Cloud, their eldest brother, had an idea. He hadn't gotten into too much detail with Reno or any other Turk about it – not surprising – all he had said was that Aeris had a part in it. It was meant to be a second chance for both them and Cloud to finally find peace and have a family. A chance for the three brothers to find the good in them that had been hidden by their brutal intent to find their mother.

Reno never thought Cloud would fall for it.

He did.

Cloud and Tifa had invited the three brothers to live with them above Seventh Heaven Bar until they found a place of their own. Kadaj was reluctant about it at first. He wasn't too fond of Cloud. But the generosity and compassion of his previous enemies had allowed him to break away from that wall of built up anger and frustration and accept the offer with a barely audible mutter of thanks.

Reno couldn't count how many times he had argued with Cloud about his brothers. They were the enemy, and he was making himself vulnerable to them. No matter what Aeris said, they shouldn't be trusted. But Cloud was firm with his decision. He wanted his brothers to have a second chance. They were merely misunderstood, lost, blinded by their will to find and please Jenova.

Reno never thought badly of Cloud until then.

Idiot.

He would regret his decision in due time.

Reno had always enjoyed visiting Seventh Heaven Bar. If not for the company, for the booze. But now that the brothers were constantly around, he began to loath it.

Yazoo was the second eldest brother. Eighteen years old, with a head of long silver hair and the same beautiful features that all three Remnants shared. Green cat-slit eyes, agile body, full black leather attire. He was usually emotionless, passive, and quiet. Never squabbled with anyone unless he was truly pushed to the limit. He was usually off somewhere shooting something with his silver pistol. He called it "Velvet Nightmare". Other than the fact that Reno found it odd he named his gun, he didn't mind Yazoo.

Loz was the eldest of the three Remnants. Twenty years old, short silver hair, massive muscular build that would intimidate anyone. But looks are deceiving. Though the eldest and strongest of the three brothers, Loz was the most immature. He was sensitive, and a bit of a cry-baby. But Reno had learned never to call him that to his face. Loz had an electrified tazer-like weapon called the "Duel Hound" (again with the names), that was attached to his left forearm. Reno hadn't been very careful with his use of words in front of the Remnant and had gotten a good zapping. Other than that, Loz wasn't too bad to have around. He was a pretty fun drunk.

It was Kadaj.

That frustrating, sarcastic, difficult, manipulative, sly little pain in the ass. That's how Reno saw him. For only a young man of sixteen, Kadaj was a real piece of work. He was the youngest of the brothers, with perfect shoulder-length silver hair that just covered his right eye and part of his nose, and beautiful almost innocent-looking features that masked his dark persona. Kadaj was the leader of the Remnants and the biggest threat in Clouds life when Sephiroth wasn't around.

Kadaj hated being cooped up in the Bar for long periods of time, but Cloud couldn't trust him to go off on his own just yet without supervision. It was like babysitting a five year old. An evil, smart-mouthed, sadistic little five year old. When he was not brooding somewhere in a corner or in his room, the young silver-haired Remnant was picking a fight with anyone that crossed him the wrong way. And surprisingly, it was always Reno who got the short end of it.

He didn't know why, but Kadaj loved to make his blood boil. He and the young Remnant barely knew one another previous to his death, so there was no built up hatred the Remnant had stored away for the Turk. Hell, if anyone, Cloud should be the one getting consistently pushed to the brink of insanity by the young man. But Reno was always a target.

Tonight, Reno and Rude had dropped by Seventh Heaven after a long day of missions. There was an Underground group of thugs terrorizing citizens of Midgar, and he and Rude had been sent in to investigate. Reno hoped there would be some good ol' hand to hand combat involved when they found the gang. Wrong. They hadn't even come close to finding the thugs, let alone fight them. They had spent the whole night questioning random witnesses and patrolling the streets. Bo-ring.

Reno needed a drink after that. Rude wasn't one to get drunk, but wouldn't allow his partner to be alone with alcohol. He had good reason. Reno wasn't a very capable man when he was tipsy. Last time, Reno nearly set himself on fire. He never knew how, though. He wasn't anywhere near any matches.

Cloud and Tifa were at the Bar when Reno and Rude walked in, and decided to join them for a drink. Marlene and Denzel were upstairs sleeping, and Tifa had scolded Reno into not making any noise. As if.

After only a few minutes of comfortable chatter, the group of them were joined by the three brothers. Reno felt his mood sink. They could have at least waited until Reno was good and drunk before they showed up.

As Reno swirled his glass of whiskey, he asked Tifa if a law had passed to let unwanted children in the bar. Tifa wasn't sure what Reno had meant, but judging from the expression on Kadaj's face, he got the hint.

"I'm not a child." He growled at the redheaded Turk.

"Well you ain't a man." Reno smirked, swigging back the rest of his drink in one gulp.

"More man than you!" Kadaj shouted.

"Please…" Reno snorted. "Call me when you hit puberty, alright kid?"

"I'm not a Goddamn kid!" Kadaj shouted, slamming his hands on the table.

"Well, alright, if you ain't a kid," Reno smiled, rising from his seat. "I guess that just makes you unwanted."

Kadaj shot to his feet. "You'll pay for that you son of a-"

Reno held his hand up to silence the young Remnant. "Ah, ah, ah…watch your language little man."

And that's when the array of back and forth name calling began. Reno stood before Kadaj, electro-rod in hand, with only a table blocking his path to the young man. Kadaj was standing too, his eyes never glancing away from Reno's. Yazoo and Loz were watching quietly from their spot on the bar stools. They seemed to think Kadaj could handle the situation himself.

"Can you two keep it down?" Tifa whispered. "The children are sleeping."

Reno heard her, but let the words pass over him. Kadaj ignored her as well.

"What are you going to do, Turkey boy?" Kadaj sneered.

Reno stepped towards the young Remnant. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself.

"I could say something atrociously cruel right now." Reno explained, putting a fist to his hip. "But I ain't going to, cause I'm a nice person."

"No! Say it!" Kadaj shouted, opening his arms out. "I dare you. Hit me with your best shot, Turk."

Reno hesitated a minute, staring deep into those gleaming Mako eyes. Slowly, one hand on the table, he leaned in towards the silver-haired Remnant. He lowered his voice to a low, almost cruel whisper.

"Second favourite." He smirked.

Kadaj's eyes widened, and his voice caught in his throat. The only sound that came out was a couple of horrified gasps from Yazoo and Loz. The rest of the room was in a shocked, deathly quiet.

Reno knew he hit Kadaj where it hurt. When he planned the Reunion with Jenova, Kadaj had prayed that his mother would choose him instead of Sephiroth. The young Remnant was incredibly envious of him. He had hoped his loyalty and willingness to please his mother would be enough to be first in her eyes. He was a mere boy hungering for his mother's approval. But, not surprisingly, Sephiroth was the favourite. He was the best of the best, and Kadaj…well, Kadaj was merely a Remnant of Jenova's legacy. Nothing of any importance. Though he tried to mask his pain, Reno knew Kadaj hated it. He acted though it didn't matter to him, but it did.

The pain pooling at the corners of Kadaj's eyes were proof enough.

The young Remnant stared unbelievably into Reno's eyes. Reno read the torment and anger through them, and wondered if he had gone too far.

Without a word, Kadaj spun around and stormed out the front door and into the rainy night. After the thunderous slam of the front door, Reno straightened.

"That was uncalled for." Yazoo frowned deeply.

Reno snorted.

"I agree." Cloud spoke up, rising from his seat.

"What?" Reno gaped at the blonde. "You can't be serious."

"Reno, I know you don't like Kadaj, but that was a bit harsh." Tifa added from her seat.

"Did any of you just witness what happened?" Reno gasped. "The little punk deserved it!"

"You started it." Cloud scolded.

Reno opened his mouth but no sound came out. He was right.

Damn it.

"Well what the hell do you suppose I do about it, yo?" Reno frowned, throwing his arms out dramatically.

"Apologize." Cloud crossed his arms.

Reno's jaw dropped. "What?"

"You heard me." Cloud raised at eyebrow.

"You gotta be kidding!"

"Does it look like I'm kidding?"

Reno looked back at the front door. "He could've gone anywhere!"

"Find him." Rude finally spoke up.

Reno gaped at his partner. "Dude! You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I agree." Tifa nodded. "Go out, find Kadaj, and say you're sorry."

Reno slumped forward, whining. "But it's raining, yo!"

Cloud clutched the handle of his sword, growling. "Reno…"

Reno threw his hands up in the air. "Fine! I'll go!" He pointed around the room. "I hate you all, though."

Reno spun around and stomped out of the bar and into the night. The cold rain hit him with a shock, pasting pieces of his red hair to his face and goggles. He sighed deeply, shaking the beads of water from his long ponytail. His suit was soaked within seconds and hanging uncomfortably on his body.

He looked around the dark road.

"Kadaj!" He called out.

His voice echoed down the street. No response. No surprise.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Kadaj leaned his body against the cold brick wall.

The rain poured down his face, mixing with the river of tears that already soaked his cheeks. His silver hair clung to his head making it near impossible for him to see. No matter, he hadn't gone very far.

He stood in the narrow alley between Seventh Heaven Bar and some other building he didn't care about. Kadaj pressed his forehead against the cool brick, clenching his leather covered fists tightly.

Stupid Turk.

He had no right to speak to him that way. About his mother! If Cloud hadn't been there, that Goddamn redhead would've paid for his insolence with his pathetic excuse of a life! Kadaj roared with anger and frustration, pounding the wall hard with his fist. The faint sting from his hand did nothing to mask the pain he was experiencing in his heart.

The Turk was right. He was the second favourite. Kadaj squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the sting of hot tears. He was nothing compared to Sephiroth. He was a clone, a mere Remnant of the legacy his mother left behind. Just a puppet.

The sudden sound of his name being called jerked him out of his trance. He recognized the voice instantly as the Turk's. Kadaj didn't bother to answer. He growled under his breath, pressing his forehead back against the wall. He felt the cold rain on the back of his neck begin to drip down whatever part of his back was not too suffocated by skin-tight leather. He shivered.

Footsteps splashing on wet pavement alerted Kadaj, and he listened intently, forehead still against the wall of the Bar. The footsteps walked swiftly passed the alleyway where he stood, then stopped. The young Remnant waited a moment with held breath. The footsteps grew louder. He was coming back. The steps halted just outside the alley, and waited. Kadaj felt eyes on the back of his head. Then, the sound approached.

Kadaj knew who it was before he heard the voice. He had to remind himself to breathe calmly. He repeated Cloud's name in his head over and over again, noting that if he killed anything, his big brother would kill him in return.

When the steps stopped just behind him, Kadaj didn't hesitate to speak, sniffing back his tears.

"Go away, Turk."

There was a minute of silence between them. Kadaj didn't turn around. He couldn't look at the Turk. He was sure if he did he would kill him.

"Kadaj…" Came the redhead's voice. "Listen, I-"

"Are you deaf, or just stupid?" Kadaj cut him off viciously. "I said go away, Turk."

"I'm not going anywhere." The Turk said firmly. "I came here to apologize."

Kadaj threw his head back with a laugh. "Ha! Apologize? Please…you meant every word you said. You don't give a damn about me, or my feelings. Just get the hell away from me."

There was a silence, then…

"No."

Kadaj spun around on his heel to face the Turk, while at the same time grasping the hilt of his Souba and whipping it out. The sharp sound of the twin blades unsheathing rang out into the night. The Turk stepped back cautiously when the sword was pointed directly at his throat.

"Get the hell away from me." Kadaj whispered darkly. "Now."

The redhead stared back at him, blue eyes penetrating into his as if reading his every thought. The rain matted strands of his fiery hair to his face and clothes. The Turk was remarkably calm at the moment, which made Kadaj's anger build.

"I'm not here to fight you." The Turk said softly. "I need to say I'm sorry for what I said at the Bar."

"No you're not." The Remnant spat. "You're not sorry at all. I can see it in your eyes. You don't care! You don't give a damn!"

"Kadaj…"

"No!" Kadaj shouted at the top of his lungs. The sword was shaking in his hands. He could feel more tears build in his eyes. "I don't need your pathetic apologies, or your pity! I don't need anything from you! I don't need anyone! I don't want it! Just leave me the hell alone!"

His voice left an echo that hung in the air like a dark shadow. The Turk continued to watch him with an annoying calmness that was so unlike him. Kadaj ground his teeth together in frustration. Tears were trickling down his rain-soaked cheek.

"This is that last time I'm going to say it…" Kadaj hissed. "Get away."

Again, the redhead stayed still.

"No."

Kadaj gripped the hilt of his sword and held it at the ready.

"Then I will make you."


	2. Venting the Anger

**C H A P T E R - T W O**

Reno gave a shout of surprise when Kadaj lunged for him.

He used his electro-rod as a shield to block the blow of Kadaj's Souba. The clash of metal on metal rang out into the rainy night. Reno grunted against the brute force of Kadaj pressing against him. The silver-haired youth was surprisingly strong for his size and age. As Reno stared directly into those green cat-slit Mako eyes, he read the anger and determination in them. If he wasn't careful, the Remnant would kill him without a second thought.

Reno used all his strength to shove Kadaj away from him. The Remnant was thrown back a few feet, but used the wall behind him as support to bounce back for another attack. He swung his Souba at the Turk, missing his ribs by an inch.

Reno dodged another swing of the double-bladed weapon. His boots slipped and slid on the wet pavement, but he caught his balance just in time. Kadaj continued to press forward, driving the Turk backwards into the street.

"Kadaj!" Reno panted. "I don't want to hurt you."

The silver-haired youth snorted. "Bullshit!"

Reno ducked as the Souba whistled past. "Stop this! I don't want to fight!"

The young Remnant ignored his words. He cried out in fury, and leapt up with cat-like agility, trying for an air attack on the Turk. Reno rolled out of the way just as Kadaj's Souba came down. It hit the pavement where Reno had been seconds before, sending a flurry of sparks flying through the air.

Kadaj growled, spinning around. Reno deflected a quick thrust of his weapon. He didn't press his own attack against the young Remnant. He didn't want to fight him. The youth was obviously distressed. Reno just hoped he would last long enough to see Kadaj finally calm down.

Kadaj gave another anger-filled shout as the double-blades sliced through the air. He was relentless, and so willing to cause harm to the Turk. Reno dodged another attack, dancing back through the puddles of rainwater covering the ground around them. He made the mistake of not watching his footing and, before he knew it, he slipped and tumbled backwards to the wet ground. Reno landed hard with a grunt, his electro-rod slipping from his grip and rolling away. Kadaj smirked darkly as he stood above him. He lunged towards Reno with dark intent, his Mako eyes flashing in the moonlight.

When he was close enough, Reno quickly snatched both of Kadaj's wrists in his hands and gripped tightly. The Remnant was on top of him now, teeth grinding, body shaking as he tried to push against Reno's resistance. He was still clutching his Souba, though it was pointed at an angle that would make it impossible to harm the Turk without him letting go. The rain poured down on both of them, and Reno prayed that his hands wouldn't slip on the soaked leather wrapped around Kadaj's wrists. One mistake and he was dead.

"Kadaj…" Reno grunted, staring up into his eyes. "Enough."

"No!" Kadaj growled, pressing the Turk painfully to the ground.

With whatever strength he could muster, Reno took hold of the Remnant and flipped him over. Kadaj gasped at the sudden shift of position. Reno was on top now, pinning the Remnant down to the wet ground by the wrists and straddling him. Kadaj struggled violently.

"Get the hell off of me!" Kadaj shouted up at him, bucking his body in hopes of pushing Reno off.

Reno pushed the young Remnant down harder onto the ground. "Not unless you calm down, yo."

Kadaj gave a cry of fury, thrashing below the Turk.

Reno raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you call calming down?"

Mako eyes flashed menacingly. "I swear on my Mother I'll-"

"You'll what?" Reno challenged. "Kill me? I don't think so. I think you've forgotten that one slight screw-up by you or your brothers will result in a very angry big brother. Cloud killed you once before, and he ain't gonna think twice about doing it again if you show defiance against him or any of us."

Kadaj stared up at him, eyes searching his. His thrashing calmed a bit and his breathing slowed. Reno still held on tight, not trusting the Remnant just yet.

"Watch yourself." Reno frowned down at Kadaj. "Understand, yo?"

Kadaj gave a long frustrated sigh, looking away from the Turk's gaze. He gave a quick nod.

"Good." Reno managed a small smile. "And…I'm still sorry for what I said back at the bar."

Kadaj glanced up at him, an expression of disbelief strewn across sharp beautiful features. There was still anger in his eyes.

"I'm gonna let go now." Reno said calmly. "Okay?"

Kadaj didn't respond.

Slowly, Reno released his grip on the Remnant's wrists. His eyes were locked on the gleaming Souba still clutched in Kadaj's fist. Just as soon as Reno lifted his weight off of the Remnant, he felt a pair of boots press into his stomach. In one swift motion, Kadaj kicked Reno off of him, sending the Turk flying a few feet away. Reno landed with a pained grunt.

He looked up at Kadaj, who was standing to his full height above him. The Souba flashed menacingly in his leather-clad hand. Reno's eyes widened.

Damn it.

He was a dead man.

Just as Reno began to pray for his life, Kadaj suddenly slid his sword back into the sheath strapped to his back. The rain poured down over them, and Kadaj brushed back the soaked silver bangs that were glued to his face.

"What're you doing?" Reno breathed.

Kadaj shot him a dark look, but didn't respond. Instead, he turned on his heel and swiftly headed in the opposite direction.

Reno jumped up. "Yo! Where the hell do you think you're going?"

The Remnant glanced back over his shoulder. "Away from you."

"You can't go off alone!" Reno shouted. "You know the rules!"

Kadaj ignored his words and continued walking down the dark empty street. Reno watched silently as his form vanished into the darkness and his wet footsteps faded away into silence.

_Great_, Reno thought. _Now I'm the one who's gonna get yelled at._

Picking up his electro-rod, Reno headed back into Seventh Heaven. Everyone was waiting. Before he had even shut the door behind him, Cloud's voice called out.

"Where's Kadaj?"

Reno ignored his words and began to shake out his long hair, sending droplets of water flying around the room. He removed his jacket and rang it out, letting a trickle of water splash onto the floor. The Turk kept his back turned towards everyone, not wanting to admit he had let the young Remnant go.

"Reno?" He felt Cloud approach behind him. "Where is Kadaj?"

"Gone." Was all Reno could say.

Reno suddenly felt Cloud tightly grip his shoulders and spin him around to stare into blazing blue eyes.

"What do you mean gone?" Cloud shouted.

Reno frowned, pushing the young blonde's strong hands off of his shoulders. He walked passed him and took a seat in the empty spot next to Rude. He looked down and pretended to fix one of the buttons on his shirt. He didn't want to make eye contact with anyone. He could feel them all watching him.

"Reno…" Came Tifa's calm voice. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened." Reno simply stated.

"Where is our brother?" Yazoo asked, approaching the table where he sat. Reno sensed an almost threatening tone in the older Remnant's voice.

Reno looked up into Yazoo's Mako eyes. "He left."

"Where?" It was Loz that spoke this time.

Reno shrugged. "The hell should I know?"

"Did you talk to him?" Tifa asked.

Reno snorted. "Yeah, I talked. But the punk didn't wanna listen. He just up and walked away."

Cloud gave a deep sigh, raking his fingers back through his dramatic blonde spikes. "I guess we should go find him."

"Don't bother." Yazoo said to the ex-SOLDIER. "Kadaj gets like this a lot. He just needs time to think and burn off some anger. He'll be back."

"You're sure?" Cloud asked.

Loz rose from his seat at the bar. "Whenever Kadaj got upset or moody about not finding Mother, he used to take long walks to calm himself down, and to think. He'd sometimes be gone for a few minutes, or even a few hours. But he always came back."

"This time won't be any different." Yazoo added. "I'm positive he'll be back by morning."

Cloud's eyes found Reno's, and the Turk saw the threat gleaming in them.

"You had better hope they're right, Reno." Cloud hissed.

Reno snorted, looking away.

Thunder rumbled outside, shaking the glasses lining the bar, which set off an orchestration of piercing little clinks. Reno looked out the window, at the darkness, the pouring rainfall, the occasional flashes of blinding lightning.

For some odd reason, he found himself hoping Kadaj had found shelter from the storm.

* * *

Kadaj didn't know how long he had been walking for, but it seemed like an eternity. The rain still wasn't letting up. His suit felt a hundred pounds heavier, and his hair matted to his face, making it difficult to see.

He was still in Midgar, as far as he could tell. But in unfamiliar territory. He was surrounded by tall, lean houses that were all attached to each other. Golden lights glowed from many windows, making the puddles on the ground glisten where he walked. He hadn't been around the city as often as he'd liked, which made it difficult to find his bearings. He could've just as easily turned around and headed back to the Bar, but he kept walking.

Cloud would be furious with him for having left, but Kadaj didn't care. If he had taken the time to return back to Seventh Heaven, he knew he would've just stormed up to his room and locked the door. He didn't want to talk to anyone. Not Cloud, not Yazoo or Loz, and especially not that Turk.

Stupid Turk.

Kadaj was furious at himself for having been overpowered by that insufferable redhead, and even more disgusted that he hadn't killed him when he had been given the chance. The opportunity was open. The Turk was unarmed, on the ground, fear flashing through powder-blue eyes.

And yet…Kadaj did nothing.

Why?

Why had he let the Turk live? One swift motion with Souba, and it would've been done. Finished. No more. But he didn't do it. He just walked away.

Kadaj gave a low throaty growl, hating himself, his weakness.

He walked on through the dark city streets, the occasional flashes of lightning illuminating the path. What time was it? Twelve? One, maybe? He was beginning to feel tired. He hadn't gotten much sleep since he had resurrected, which had been almost a month ago. There had been endless nights of lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. Thoughts of Mother, thoughts of Sephiroth, thoughts of his previous life flashing through his mind. He'd replay every minute. Trying to find that one tiny detail where he had done something wrong, and evidently lost his place as first in Mother's eyes.

He found nothing.

Well…nothing that would fain disloyalty to Mother or the Reunion.

Kadaj knew he wasn't perfect. But he knew he was loyal.

Why hadn't she seen it?

Suddenly, a shock of electric pain shot through Kadaj's body. He gasped, clutching his chest. Another shock and then another. He cried out in pain. The blood coursing through his veins felt molten hot. He felt as though he was being burned from the inside out.

Kadaj jerked as another wave of pain stabbed into him. He collapsed onto his knees. He tried to breathe, but hardly any air would come in. Sweat poured from his brow, stinging his eyes. He groaned, and gave another high cry as the shocks continued. They ran from his feet, to his fingertips, to his head, then back down again. The world began to spin and blur.

What was happening?

Had he been shot? Stabbed? Brutally attacked from behind without realizing it? Had that Turk followed him for a final blow?

Kadaj screamed in agony, falling over onto his side. Water splashed all around him. Every limb shook. He began to convulse. He clenched his teeth, tears of pain pouring from his eyes.

_Fight_, He told himself. _Fight this!_

Kadaj struggled to lift himself, but more agonizing shocks sent him crumbling back to the pavement. Everything around him began to fade. Darkness began to creep in, summoning him, beckoning him, wrapping him in warm wings. He felt so tired…so tired…

_No…_

Unable to hold on, Kadaj surrendered to the darkness and passed out.


	3. An Odd Awakening

**C H A P T E R - T H R E E**

Kadaj groaned, his eyes fluttering open.

He made the mistake of opening them too quickly, and was blinded by a bright light. Giving a loud moan, he covered his eyes with his hands and rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face into a soft, warm…

Pillow?

Kadaj's eyes snapped open.

With a gasp, the Remnant leaped up onto his feet with high agility. He tried to stand, but his legs suddenly became entwined in a tangle of bed sheets. With a cry, Kadaj stumbled back and fell hard onto the floor.

"Damn…" He muttered, rubbing the back of his sore head.

After rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Kadaj looked around at his strange new surroundings. He was in a small room. A bedroom, to be exact. There was a double bed set against the wall, its green sheets askew from when Kadaj tripped over them and fell onto the floor.

Kadaj got to his feet and gazed around the room, his eyes going through every detail of this new environment. A small wooden table was set next to the bed. A black lamp stood on the table, along with a pair of sunglasses, an ashtray filled with cigarette butts, and a small scale model of a helicopter. The walls were wallpapered with a tame olive green paper that was peeling slightly around the corners and ceiling, and the one window was dressed in beige blinds that were slightly bent from years of use. There was a small closet on the other side of the room, and piles of clothes were hanging out of it and on the floor around it. The carpet on the floor was a dark beige colour, and had been permanently scarred with a few black cigarette burns here and there.

Kadaj rolled his eyes a bit. Whoever lived here didn't really care for decorating a room, and if they did, they were terrible at it.

Wait…

Who was it that lived here?

Kadaj blinked. Where was he, anyways? He walked towards the window and pulled down the blinds. He squinted a bit at the bright sunlight as he peered out into the streets below. He was still in Midgar, as far as he could see. The familiar silhouette of the Shin-Ra building stood high in the distance. But, everything near was unfamiliar to him.

Who brought him here?

He remembered being in excruciating pain last night. But he saw no one. He heard no gunshot, no metallic ring of a sword or knife, no footsteps to show that there had been anyone with him. What had happened to him? Who brought him here?

Kadaj rubbed his temples with his fingers, his head still aching.

The sudden bright gleam of sun-kissed metal caught Kadaj's attention. His Souba was lying on the floor next to his bed. He hadn't even realized he wasn't carrying it. The Remnant lifted his weapon off of the floor, and gazed at his reflection in the twin blades. What stared back wasn't himself. Though that face, those eyes, that hair, were all his own…all he saw was Sephiroth. He was just a clone. A copy. Something based off of an original production.

Loathing everything that stared back at him, Kadaj looked away from the blades. He was about to sheath his weapon, when the sound of approaching footsteps startled him out of his thoughts. They were growing louder and louder. Kadaj's knuckles were white around the handle of his Souba as he stared at the bedroom door.

When the door finally swung open, Kadaj thrust his weapon towards the throat of the figure that entered. He gasped, staring into a pair of familiar powder blue eyes.

Reno.

"You!" Kadaj growled darkly. "I should've known!"

The redheaded Turk raised an eyebrow. "I see someone's feeling better."

"Where the hell am I?" Kadaj shouted, keeping the blades of Souba pointed directly at the Turk's throat. "Why did you bring me here? What are you planning to do with me?"

"Calm down, yo." The Turk smirked. "I ain't planning on doing anything. Look at me. Does it honestly look like I came in prepared for a fight?"

Kadaj's eyes lowered from the Turk's face to his body. He wasn't wearing his usual Turk uniform. Instead, he was wearing a pair of baggy black cotton pants, and a loose red t-shirt adorning the familiar Shin-Ra logo. He was barefoot and carrying two steaming mugs of…something. Kadaj saw no weapons on him, but refused to lower his own.

"Where am I?" The young Remnant asked angrily.

Reno looked around the room. "You're in my apartment. Well…the bedroom part of it, at least."

_Figures_, Kadaj thought, remembering the décor.

"Why am I here?" He barked at the older male.

The redhead frowned slightly. "Well…last night, Cloud and the others waited for you to come home. We would've come looking for you, but Yazoo convinced old Chocobo-head that you'd be back. So, we waited. We waited and waited for hours, but you never showed up." As Reno spoke, he walked slowly around the room. Kadaj never lowered his weapon for an instant, the blade following the Turk as he continued on. "Finally, at about four in the morning, Cloud gave up and decided to go to bed. He kept the door unlocked, so you'd be able to come in. On my way home, I came across a very odd sight. Can you guess what it was?"

Kadaj didn't answer, though he had a vague idea what Reno would say next.

"It was you." The Turk said softly. "You were lying face down in the middle of the street. I thought you were dead, but when I went over I was surprised and relieved to find you breathing."

Kadaj snorted. "Relieved?"

"Yeah, relieved." Reno said, his voice carrying a clear annoyed tone. "Do you think I'd be happy to find you dead? I may be a Turk, but I ain't heartless."

Kadaj scoffed, but said nothing.

"Not knowing what condition you'd be in if I made the attempt to carry you all the way back to Cloud, I brought you here." Reno continued. "I checked for wounds, but there wasn't a scratch on you. There was no swelling on your head, so there was no way you were knocked out." The redhead stared deeply into his eyes, his intense gaze making the youth shiver slightly. "What happened to you, Kadaj?"

Kadaj looked away from the Turk's gaze, his mind repeating everything that occurred that night. He lowered his Souba. "I…I don't know."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really." Kadaj spat, shooting the Turk a venomous look.

Reno rolled his eyes, holding out a steaming mug towards the Remnant. "I brought you a coffee."

Kadaj stared at the mug, but didn't budge.

"You can take it, you know." The Turk told him. "It won't bite."

"Take a sip." Kadaj said.

Reno blinked. "What?"

"Take a sip of the coffee." Kadaj repeated.

The Turk's jaw dropped slightly. "Why? Do…do you think I poisoned it or something?"

"Can't be too careful." Kadaj smirked.

"You're not serious." Reno said flatly.

Kadaj tilted his head a bit. "Does it look like I'm joking?"

"But, it has milk in it." Reno frowned down at the mug. "I hate milk."

Kadaj raised an eyebrow, glancing briefly at the second cup in Reno's hand that was clearly filled with ink-black coffee.

"And I hate poison." Kadaj hissed. "Now drink it."

The Turk shook his head in disbelief. "You're a real pain in the ass."

Kadaj watched as Reno lifted the cup to his lips and took a small sip of the coffee. He winced at the taste, his face scrunching in an expression of disgust. The Remnant snickered a bit.

"Nasty…" Reno wiped his mouth on his arm. He held the cup out again. "There. I tasted it. No poison."

After slight hesitation, Kadaj finally took the coffee. He could feel the warmth of the mug through his leather-clad hands. Bringing the rim of the cup to his lips, he took a long drink, relishing the comforting heat that entered his body. The taste was something too. Sort of buttery with just a hint of a nutty flavour.

"Good, huh?" The Turk smiled, sipping from his own cup.

Kadaj wiped his mouth and nodded. "Shouldn't you be working?" He asked.

Reno shook his head, leaning casually against the wall. "It's my day off."

"Hmm…" Kadaj looked away, lost in thought. This was the first time he and the Turk spoke in a civilized manner since they'd met. And, he wasn't really enjoying it.

Suddenly, a high pitched melody rang out, startling Kadaj, and almost making him drop his coffee. He watched as Reno reached into the back pocket of his pants and pulled out a cell phone. He put it to his ear.

"Hello?" Reno spoke into the phone. "Oh, Cloud. It's you. What do you…what? C-calm down…what? Who didn't? Kadaj?"

The young Remnant's ears perked at the mention of his name. He listened as the redhead spoke calmly into the phone.

"Cloud…yo, Cloud. Calm down, man. Kadaj isn't missing. He's fine. I ran into him last night, and he spent the night at my place. Everything's cool."

The Turk took a long breath as he listened to Cloud's words on the other end of the phone.

"Well I would've called, but it was late, and I didn't want you bitching at me." The redhead placed a hand on his hip, his foot tapping on the floor. "Yes, you do bitch. I would know, cause you've done it many times. Especially at me. What? Fine, don't believe me. Ask Tifa, she'd know too."

Kadaj took another sip of his coffee, smiling a bit into the cup.

"Hmm?" Reno continued. "Oh yeah, he's fine…no, we didn't spend all night killing each other. Yeah, he's right here…Huh? Oh…well I don't think he needs to go home just yet."

Kadaj raised an eyebrow. "What?"

The Turk ignored him. "Yeah…I was thinking he and I could hang out together today. Hmm? Oh…no, I've got the day off. Yeah, Turks have days off…I know it's weird…Kadaj'll hang with me today."

Kadaj's jaw dropped. "I'll what?"

Reno turned away from him. "Yeah, we'll be fine. I'll bring him back tonight."

"What!" Kadaj shouted.

"Got to go, Cloud." The Turk said quickly into the phone before clicking it off and stuffing it back into his pocket.

"What the hell was that for?" Kadaj asked, slumping his shoulders.

The Turk sighed. "Look…Kadaj, I think you and I got of on the wrong foot. We haven't gone through a day together without argument. I'm personally getting sick of it."

"I'm not." Kadaj hissed. "Bring me home."

"No." The redhead said flatly, sipping his coffee.

Kadaj growled, his hands reaching for the handle of his Souba. "I said bring me home, Turk. Now."

"No." Reno repeated.

Kadaj took a threatening step towards him. "Take me back, or I'll-"

"You'll what?" The Turk challenged. "You have no authority over me, Kadaj. I'm not one of your brothers. If you want to go home, go. But don't expect me to take you. Find your own way back."

The silver-haired youth paused a moment, remembering when he had looked out the window. How he didn't recognize anything around the apartment. He didn't know Midgar. He had no idea how to get home.

Stupid Turk.

"Fine." Kadaj groaned through clenched teeth. "You win."

Reno smiled. "Good boy. I have something special planned for today."

"What?" Kadaj asked.

The Turk smirked, heading for the door. "You'll see. Finish your coffee, and meet me downstairs in five. I'm going to get dressed."

"Thank God." Kadaj snickered, motioning to Reno's shirt. "That's entirely too much red for one human."

"This is coming from a boy who struts around in a skin tight leather jumpsuit with flared pants." Reno shot back, smiling.

"Bite me." Kadaj spat.

"Ladies first."

After Reno disappeared behind the door, Kadaj could resist the smile that crept onto his lips.

For what reason…he couldn't say…

* * *

"No."

"Yes."

"You can't make me."

"Yes I can."

"I'm not doing it."

"Oh, yes you are."

Kadaj stared up into Reno's eyes. "No way am I going inside one of those things."

Reno crossed his arms. "Kadaj, it's a helicopter. They're no big deal."

"They are if you hate flying." The Remnant gulped.

"You hate flying?" The Turk asked, surprised.

Kadaj crossed his arms. "There's a reason my chosen mode of transportation is my nice grounded motorbike."

Reno stuffed his hands into the pockets of his black jacket, gazing upon the silver-haired boy standing next to him. The warm breeze billowed through his perfect silver locks, and made the loose leather material around his calves creak with every flap. The usual piercing intensity in his Mako eyes was replaced by a flash of anxiety as he stared at the massive Shin-Ra Helicopter stationed a few feet away. Reno smiled a bit. Through all he was, all he presented himself to be, Kadaj was still just a kid…

"Don't worry." Reno reassured the younger male. "I'll be there with you."

Kadaj snorted. "Believe it or not, that doesn't help at all."

"Oh shut up and get in the chopper." Reno smiled, taking Kadaj's armoured shoulder and pushing him into the cock-pit of the flying machine. The young Remnant was reluctant at first, but calmed as he sat himself on the passengers seat. His hands were still shaking a bit, and he took a deep breath to relax himself.

"Over." Reno said, standing at the door of the helicopter.

Kadaj looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "W-what?"

"Move over."

"Where?" Kadaj's voice almost cracked slightly.

Reno motioned with his hand. "The next seat."

"But…that's the pilot's seat."

Reno smiled. "Exactly."

At that moment, the Remnant's cat-slit eyes widened in horror. "You…you expect me to fly this thing?"

"You got it." The Turk gave a nod.

"No way."

"Yes way."

"You can't make me do it." Kadaj said, panicking slightly. "I won't fly. You'll have to kill me."

Reno sighed, raking his fingers back through his red locks. "Kadaj, it isn't difficult. I mean, c'mon yo. I fly these things all the time. Hell, if I can do it, you can. And besides…" He leaned in, raising a brow. "You're the infamous leader of the Remnants. I thought you weren't scared of anything."

The youth straightened his back, emphasizing his proud shoulders and strong chest. "I'm not."

Reno smiled, eyeing the empty seat. "Then move over."

Kadaj hesitated a moment, his eyes moving from Reno, to the empty seat beside him. Reno waited patiently as the kid balanced out the pros and cons of the situation. The Turk understood, remembering his first time flying. He was just as nervous. It just takes time and the right amount of courage. Something he knew Kadaj definitely had.

After a moment, the Remnant finally lifted himself and plopped into the pilot's seat. As Reno sat himself next to him, he watched Kadaj nervously eye all the buttons and levers set before him. He laughed.

Kadaj shot him a dirty look. "What's so funny?"

Reno cleared his throat, unable to control the smile on his lips. "Relax, Kadaj. It's not as hard as it looks. I'll guide you through it all."

The silver-haired youth took a deep breath and nodded. He took the headset that Reno held out to him and placed it on his head.

"Will you be able to see?" Reno asked.

Kadaj glanced over at him, frowning. "What do you mean?"

Reno motioned with his hand. "Your hair. It covers like…half your face. Can you see clearly through it, or do I need to get you a bobby-pin?"

Suddenly, Kadaj burst out laughing. He actually laughed. An upbeat, warm laugh that made Reno's throat clench. Such sounds were so alien to the Remnant. Reno cleared his throat a bit, forcing a chuckle in response.

"I'm fine." Kadaj smiled. "I can see perfectly."

The Turk nodded, silently questioning his odd response to the laugh. "Just making sure, yo."

"Are you sure Shin-Ra wont mind you taking a chopper?" Kadaj asked.

Reno adjusted the mike on his headset before responding. "Nah. They won't care. They've got plenty of these hanging around. But if you manage to crash this thing, all the money in damages comes out of my pay check." He leaned towards the youth. "So basically, if the crash doesn't kill us, Tseng will kill me, and then I will kill you. So, try not to crash."

Kadaj gave a quick nod, his eyes wide. "Got it."

"Okay." Reno smiled, sitting back. "Let's fly this baby."


	4. A Day Together

**C H A P T E R - F O U R**

"Easy on the lever, kid." Reno motioned with his hand. "You don't want to tip us forward."

The young Remnant beside him sighed in obvious frustration. "Like I've told you before, I got this." Mako eyes flashed darkly in his direction. "And don't call me 'kid'."

Reno sunk back into the cushioned passenger's seat, raising his hands in defence. "Alright, yo. Alright. No need to get snippy with me."

"I'm not snippy."

"Whatever you call it then," Reno smirked. "I was only trying to help."

Kadaj snorted, and directed those cat-slits back towards the cerulean skies. The redhead gazed over in the Remnant's direction. He was doing remarkably well for a first-time flyer. Reno had only gone through the basics with him before liftoff, and the silver-haired youth picked up on technique almost instantly. He was still a little shaky due to his fear of flying, but Kadaj handled the ol' bird as if he had been flying her for years.

Reno couldn't help the smile that crept onto his lips.

He instantly regretted it when Kadaj looked over at him and basically did a double-take. "What're you smiling at?"

The smile vanished, and Reno cleared his throat uncomfortably. He felt his face heat up. Damn his pale complexion!

"Uh…nothing. Nothing." He stammered. "You're doing fine."

Kadaj gave him a strange look, but said nothing else. Instead, he directed his gaze back to the skies. Reno breathed in relief.

"Where are we?" Kadaj asked, sitting up straighter to peer out the window.

Reno looked out towards the world below. "We've been flying for quite a while now, so we've got to be well out of Midgar. Looks like we're over the mountains."

"Hmm…" Kadaj stared thoughtfully out the window. The golden light of the late afternoon sun was shimmering over his silver locks, and gleaming on the smooth leather that covered his slim body. Reno detected a slight frown playing upon the youth's lips.

He leaned in casually. "Something on your mind?"

Kadaj glanced over, seeming to have snapped from his trance. "Hmm? Oh…no. It's nothing."

"Sure as hell doesn't look like nothing." Reno frowned. "What's wrong?"

"You wouldn't care."

"Whata'ya mean I wouldn't care?" Reno gasped, slightly hurt by the youth's words. "If something's bothering you, let it out. I'll listen."

Mako eyes met his and stared into him as if reading his very soul. They were penetrating, and as cold as a frozen pond in the winter. The Turk felt chills run up his spine, but he dared not look away. Reno sensed Kadaj contemplating whether or not to burrow deeper on the subject of what was bothering him. The Remnant didn't like him. He didn't like anyone other than his brothers. Why would he? Other than Yazoo and Loz, everyone Kadaj knew had been an enemy once before. Reno knew he wasn't on the silver-haired youth's good side – if he even had one - but he was determined to change that.

He didn't know why…but he was.

"You can trust me." Reno said calmly.

Kadaj turned away from his gaze and looked out the window, not responding to the Turk's last words for a while. His long gloved fingers tapped softly on the steering lever in his hand. Reno still sat forward, his elbows rested on his knees casually as he awaited a reply from the Remnant leader.

"I can't trust anyone."

Reno looked up quickly when those last words escaped Kadaj's lips. He stared at the youth, his brow creasing into a frown. "Why do you think that?"

Kadaj shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Why shouldn't I think that?"

"So you don't trust me?"

"Do you trust me?" Kadaj asked, meeting his gaze once more.

The redhead raked his fingers back through his unkempt hair. "Answering my questions with more questions isn't helping, Kadaj."

"Then answer my questions instead." The silver-haired youth said calmly. "Do you trust me?"

Reno stared into those cat-like eyes that almost sparkled in the light. The look Kadaj was giving him was hard to read. It was a mixture of calmness and anxiety. Strength and weakness. Respect and loathing.

"No."

To his surprise, Kadaj smiled. Not a smile of happiness, but of satisfaction. "Thought so."

The Turk sat back in his seat. "Well, having a sword pointed at my throat all the time isn't exactly what I would call a trusting action, yo."

"That's because I don't trust you, either."

Reno frowned and crossed one lithe leg over the other. "So, does this mean you're not going to tell me what's bothering you?"

Kadaj gave a deep frustrated breath, causing the curtain of silver hair over his face to billow upward for a brief moment. "If I do, will you promise to shut up for the rest of the flight?"

Reno placed one hand over his heart. "I swear on it."

Kadaj was silent for a moment or so as he carefully steered the chopper back towards Midgar. Reno noticed the familiar skyline of the city silhouetted in the far off distance. It would be about half an hour before they landed.

"So?" Reno said, looking back at the young Remnant.

Kadaj sighed. "Remember last night? Remember how you found me?"

Reno nodded, images of the previous night flashing through his mind like a sped-up movie. It was very late, dark, and pouring mercilessly. After he had left Seventh Heaven Bar at about three in the morning, he made a dash for home to escape the storm. He hated rain.

He had only been running a few blocks before he suddenly came across Kadaj's lifeless body in the middle of the street. Reno could still feel the intense wave of panic and fear that consumed his whole being as he rushed to the youth's body, shaking him, calling out his name in desperation. The slight uneven breaths barely escaping Kadaj's lips and the weak beats of his heart were what gave Reno the sign that Kadaj was alive. Extremely weak, but alive. Reno hadn't had his heart race that fast in a long time.

"You see…" Kadaj's voice suddenly snapped Reno back into reality. "What's bothering me is that I have no idea what happened to me. It all came so suddenly. The pain…"

"Pain?" Reno frowned deeply.

Kadaj nodded slowly. "I was walking, when I got this sudden eruption of agonizing pain throughout my body. It was unbelievable. I…I've never experienced such a feeling." He shook his head, laughing softly. "I half thought it was you attacking me. But I heard no gunshot, no metallic ring of blades, no footsteps. And even you had said that I didn't have a scratch on me. The pain was so unbearable, I passed out."

"And you have no idea what caused it?" Reno asked.

Kadaj shrugged. "None. I'm not sick. I've never had any physical problems at all in my life. I'm perfectly healthy."

Reno took a long slow breath, rubbing his palms together uncomfortably. "Well, I ain't a doctor, so I can't just spit out some medical mumbo-jumbo and make it all better. But, it looks to me like you had a seizure of some sort."

"Seizure?"

Reno nodded.

"Why?" Desperation flashed through the Remnant's cat-slit eyes.

The Turk shook his head sadly. "That's not my place to say. If I knew the answers, I'd tell you. But, like I said, I ain't a doctor. You ought to see a professional about this."

Kadaj grimaced. "No. I hate doctors. I hate scientists. I hate labs. I don't want to be poked and prodded to hopefully find an answer. I won't."

"But-"

"No." Kadaj spat coldly.

The redhead wanted to argue, but by the way Kadaj refused to meet his gaze, he knew it wouldn't be a good idea. The Remnant had good reason to hate anything to do with labs. He and his brothers were created and spent most of their lives in Professor Hojo's Laboratory as his experiments. Reno could only imagine the torment the three brothers had to endure as helpless children.

Reno ruffled his head of unkempt red hair in thought. "Well…if you're not plannin' on telling any doctors, could'ya at least tell your brothers? They'd want to know."

Kadaj gave him a quick sidelong glance. "I was planning on it."

"Oh…good." Reno cleared his throat uncomfortably. He hated moments like this. Awkward moments. They seemed to happen more often than not with Kadaj. He watched the Remnant's hands as he steered. "You might want to ease up. We're leaning a little forward."

He noticed Kadaj roll his eyes. "Didn't you promise to be quiet for the rest of the flight?"

"I did." Reno smiled innocently. "But, I'm a Turk, yo. Promises don't apply to me."

The silver-haired boy shook his head with a smirk. "Stupid Turk."

"Rancid Remnant." Reno shot right back with a grin.

"Ginger kid."

"Mama's boy."

Reno met Kadaj's eyes, and the youth smiled. Not a sarcastic smile, but a real, full-out, joyful smile. It was the first that Reno had ever seen cross the Remnant's beautiful features; and it was…incredible. He reckoned the kid never really smiled much, but now that he did, it was like gazing upon an entirely different person. He couldn't resist smiling back.

Kadaj turned his attention back to steering the chopper. A sudden frown came to his lips. "One question..." his voice almost cracked with worry.

Reno raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"How do you land this thing?"

* * *

Walking back in through the doors of Seventh Heaven Bar, Kadaj found himself greeted by a sudden and unexpected engulfment of leather and strong arms. He gasped as he was squeezed into a suffocating hug, recognizing the familiar scent of leather, stone, and cologne that filled his nostrils.

"Loz!" Kadaj choked. "I…can't…breathe…"

"You had all of us worried sick, Kadaj!" Loz said, holding his youngest brother tightly. "Why didn't you ever come back?"

"I…was…with…the…Turk…" Kadaj managed to say through his gasps. "Loz, please…you're…crushing…me…"

"Oh." Loz finally released his monstrous grip on the much smaller Remnant. "Sorry."

Kadaj landed back on his feet with a slight stumble, gasping for air. He noted Reno standing behind him, laughing.

"You…shut it!" Kadaj breathed, pointing a threatening finger at the smiling Turk's face.

"We waited all night for you to come home, Nii-san." Loz frowned, placing his large fists upon leather-clad hips.

"I know, I know…" Kadaj said with a dismissive flick of his hand. "Sorry for not calling, but I ran into a bit of trouble last night." When he caught a flash of threat in Loz's Mako eyes as he looked over at Reno, Kadaj placed a hand on his older brother's arm. "No, no, not with the Turk. Believe me, I could handle him." He ignored the snort from the redhead and continued. "I'll explain everything to you and Yazoo later."

Loz nodded.

Kadaj stepped passed the monstrous form that was his big brother and looked around the bar. It was a very busy night. There had been more than a few of those since he and his brothers had moved in, and it was driving Tifa mad. Even now, he could see her scrambling behind the bar, mixing drinks and serving customers.

Kadaj pushed through the crowds of people as he made his way to the bar. He received a few uneasy sidelong glances, and stares. The deafening chatter and clinks of glasses had even died down to low whispers. Not surprising. Everyone in Midgar knew who he was. They remembered him and his brothers from their little "troublesome antics" - as Tifa so cheerfully put it - a year before. Mostly, they recognized the uncanny similarities to Sephiroth that he and his brothers shared. The same silver locks, Mako eyes, strong lithe forms, leather attire, proud graceful stride. It was far too similar to bring comfort to these people. They shuffled away as the Remnant leader walked passed, dozens of sets of terrified eyes locked on the deadly Souba sheathed to his back. Loz and Reno followed closely behind.

"Evening, Tifa." Kadaj said, finally reaching the bar.

Big brown eyes met his. "Ah, Kadaj. You're back." She laid the cloth she had just been wiping the counter with over her shoulder and wiped her hands on her black skirt. "Feeling better?"

"Much." Kadaj looked around. "I see you're busy again."

"Ugh…don't get me started." Tifa groaned. She pulled out a few glasses and began to fill each of them with tiny cubes of ice. "But, business is business. Lucky I've got Loz here to help me out."

Kadaj nodded after noting the proud smile upon Loz's face. "Where is everyone?"

"Cloud is out, Denzel went to see some friends, and Yazoo and Marlene are upstairs." Tifa uncorked a bottle of amber liquid and began emptying it into the glasses. "We finished dinner an hour ago, but we saved some leftovers for you. They're in the kitchen."

"Thank God." Kadaj placed a hand on his stomach, only then noting the painful rumbling it was making. "I'm starving."

Tifa looked over at Reno. "Would you like something to eat, Reno?"

"Oh, no, it's alright." The Turk shook his head. "I'll just grab something on my way home. I don't want to be any trouble."

"No trouble at all." Tifa smiled warmly. "Please, stay. You've taken care of Kadaj all day, I'm sure you're famished."

The tall redhead chucked a bit. He placed his hands deep into the pockets of his black jacket, then met Kadaj's gaze. It was almost as if he was silently asking permission from the Remnant.

Just yesterday, Kadaj knew he would've told the Turk to go home and never come back. But now…it was a strange thought, and somewhat troubling, but Kadaj didn't want Reno to leave just yet. He hadn't experienced such feelings since he was a small child. Whenever Yazoo or Loz had been taken away for more experiments, Kadaj always wished to just latch onto them and never let go. But, that feeling had managed to die away over the years. Now that they were older, separation wasn't as much of a torture to Kadaj.

But that feeling…that urge to hold on and not let go. To cling to a few more moments with a person…it had returned. And it was towards Reno. Of all people. Reno. Kadaj was dumbfounded, but he couldn't fight it.

"C'mon, Turk." Kadaj smirked, motioning towards the kitchen with a flick of his head. "Stay a while."

A smile spread over Reno's lips and he shrugged. "Ah…what the heck."

Making his way towards the kitchen, Kadaj couldn't seem to ignore the odd lump in his throat.


	5. Sunsets and Crazy Straws

**C H A P T E R - F I V E**

"So…what's your poison?"

Kadaj barely heard the Turk over the loud clinks of dishes and silverware, and the low roar of running water. He looked over at the older redhead who was currently drying a plate with an old dishcloth he found in one of the drawers. His eyes weren't on Kadaj, but the young Remnant sensed the Turk waiting for an answer.

The small kitchen located at the back of Seventh Heaven was thunderous with noise, even though it was empty except for the two of them. Echoes of chatter, laugher, and clinking glasses from the Bar reverberated into the tiny kitchen as if the source of the sound was merely inches away. Kadaj frowned deeply as he proceeded to clean the dishes. He hated noise. It made it hard to think straight. He remembered countless times back in the Forgotten City where he had yelled for his brothers to shut up as he paced back and forth in their home. More times he shouted at Loz than Yazoo, seeing as how Yazoo hardly really spoke when he knew Kadaj was busy. Continuous plotting and scheming required silence.

When the last plate was clean, Kadaj turned off the water, minimizing the sound by just a bit. He wiped his now gloveless hands on an extra cloth lying on the counter. Reno reached for the plate, and Kadaj noticed the Turk eyeing him quite intently. No doubt still waiting for the answer to the question Kadaj barely heard.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that." Kadaj said, throwing the cloth back.

Reno wiped the plate and leaned in a bit closer. "What's your poison?"

This time Kadaj heard him clearly, except…he had no idea what he was talking about. Poison? An odd subject for after-dinner conversation.

The silver-haired youth snatched his gloves from their spot on the table, and proceeded to slip them on. Reno placed the last plate back in the cupboard, and glanced over his shoulder at the Remnant.

"Well?" The Turk asked, putting the cloth away.

Kadaj shrugged. "I don't know…Arsenic."

The Turk stared at him for a second, and then suddenly burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. Kadaj blinked in confusion.

"What exactly is so funny, Turk?" He frowned, crossing his arms.

Reno shook his head, uncontrollable laughter still rising from deep in his throat. He even had to clutch onto the edge of the counter to keep himself from toppling over. Kadaj watched him silently, an un-amused expression painted across his features. When the redhead finally calmed down, he met Kadaj's gaze and noticed the look he was giving him.

"Oh…" Reno straightened. "Sorry, yo." He wiped a tear from his eye.

Kadaj raised a thin silver eyebrow. "May I ask what about the last few words escaping my lips was so hysterical?"

The Turk smiled. "You thought I actually said poison literally?"

Kadaj screwed up his face in confusion. "Obviously. What else could it have meant?"

"Alcohol." The Turk grinned, tossing his lithe arms in the air joyfully. "What type of alcohol do you like?"

"Oh." Kadaj lowered his head a bit, inwardly thanking Mother for his dramatic silver bangs. They were an excellent shield to mask the red pigment of embarrassment that now covered his pale cheeks.

He never blushed…

Stupid Turk.

"So?" Reno's annoyingly cheerful voice asked. "What's your poison?"

When Kadaj felt the heat fade from his face, he looked up into those powder blue eyes. "I don't drink."

Reno leaned back against the counter casually. "You don't drink? Is that cause you hate alcohol…or cause you ain't never tried it before?"

Kadaj hesitated a second before answering. "The second one."

"Ah…" Reno smirked, tilting his head slightly. "I see. Well, I was plannin on getting a drink from the Bar and heading up to the roof for a bit before I go home. Care to join me?"

Kadaj thought for a bit, looking long and hard into Reno's eyes. He recalled that odd feeling that had consumed him before dinner. That feeling of wanting to hold onto the Turk and not let go. The thoughts troubled Kadaj deeply. Thoughts that he knew would snake through his mind as he tried to sleep. The thoughts were even overpowering his worry over the mysterious seizure that he had suffered the night before.

He examined Reno intently, though not obviously. He looked at his fair skin; his powder blue eyes that glinted in the kitchen lighting; the odd red semi-circular tattoos painted across both his cheekbones; the unkempt crimson locks that transcended into a long thin ponytail; the pilot goggles we wore strapped to his forehead; the silver hoop that festooned his left ear; his tall, lithe form covered by a Turk's uniform with open collared shirt and unzipped black jacket; and the relaxed yet proud and arrogant way he carried himself.

Kadaj had never seen anyone like him. He had never known anyone like him. There was something about the Turk that made him feel…different. It was strange, surprising, and frankly a little frightening. Even the mention of Reno having to eventually head home was…Dear God…saddening him!

Kadaj frowned deeply. What was happening to him?

Reno's voice suddenly snapped him back into reality. "So, are ya going to answer me, or just stand there and look pretty?"

Kadaj blinked. "I…uh…" Oh God, he was stammering! He cleared his throat and gathered his composure. "I mean…yeah, sure. I'll join you."

Reno smiled. "Excellent."

As the taller man walked passed, Kadaj breathed a deep shaky sigh. There definitely was something wrong with him.

He turned and followed Reno into the deafeningly loud Bar. The Remnant noted the chatter dying down a few decibels when the crowd noticed him re-enter the room. He pushed passed groups of strangers as they slowly made their way to the bar where Tifa and Loz were stationed.

His older silver-haired brother smiled down at him from his seat at the bar. "How was dinner?"

Kadaj leaned his elbows on the counter. "Surprisingly delicious. Why?"

"Yazoo made it." Loz smiled. "He wanted to wait until you came home to serve it, though. He practically held dinner hostage until Cloud told him he needed food before he headed out. Then, Yaz had no choice but to finally let everyone eat."

"Ah…" Kadaj smiled lightly. "Well, I'll be sure to thank Yazoo when I see-"

Reno's palm suddenly hitting the counter made Kadaj jump back in surprise. He glared up at the tall redhead who was smiling cheerfully at the young woman behind the bar.

"What can I get you, Reno?" Tifa smiled, wiping the inside of a class with a cloth.

The Turk drummed his long fingers on the bar top. "Hmm…give me Scotch Whiskey on the rocks, and…" He thought for a moment. "…a tall glass of chocolate milk for Kadaj."

The young Remnant gasped. "What?"

"Oh! Sorry…" Reno smirked, leaning in towards Tifa. "Make that chocolate milk…with a crazy straw."

"You got it." Tifa smiled, turning away.

Once the young bartenders head was turned, Kadaj gave the Turk a swift punch in the arm. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Ouch, dammit." Reno frowned, rubbing the sore spot on his arm. "I was just ordering drinks, yo."

"Chocolate milk?" Kadaj gaped, crossing his arms furiously. "What am I? Five? Why didn't you order the same thing you're getting for me?"

"You said you ain't ever drank before." Reno said coolly. "Besides, first timers couldn't handle Scotch Whiskey. It's pretty harsh."

"I'm not like other people." Kadaj argued. "I can take it."

When the two full glasses hit the bar top, Kadaj immediately snatched the smaller, square one, ignoring the protests from the redhead.

He looked down at the amber liquid floating in the glass, his nose wrinkled at the foul aroma filling his nostrils. He looked up at Reno, who was now holding the tall cup of frothy chocolate milk complete with a very childish blue crazy straw.

"You can have the milk." Kadaj said bitterly. "I'm having the Scotch."

"Like I said before, yo, I hate milk." Reno smirked as Kadaj brought the glass closer. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Kadaj snorted, and brought the rim of the glass to his lips. He tipped the glass and allowed the amber liquid to pour into his mouth and down his throat. It was just a small sip.

His eyes widened.

The second the Scotch hit the back of his throat, it began to burn. Kadaj coughed, nearly choking on the bitter-tasting alcohol. He could feel the hot, thick, burning sensation slide all the way down into his stomach, making it twist and turn uncomfortably. He began to feel nauseous. His eyes were watering.

Kadaj coughed again, his free hand clutching onto his still burning throat.

"I warned 'im." He heard Reno say to someone. Probably Loz.

Kadaj glared up at the Turk. He still had that annoying smirk plastered on his face. He silently wished he could smack if off. The youth hacked and coughed again, trying to get that horrible taste out of the back of his throat.

"How can you drink this shit?" He asked the Turk, his voice hoarse. "It's disgusting!"

Reno shrugged. "I'm pretty immune to it. I actually like the taste."

Kadaj stick his tongue out in disgust. "Ugh…that's so nasty."

He placed the glass back on the bar top, ignoring the small snigger coming from the redhead's direction. Kadaj turned when he felt Loz's huge strong hand on his armoured shoulder.

"You okay, Kadaj?" His oldest brother asked, concern laced into his deep gruff voice.

Kadaj coughed a bit. "Fine."

When Reno held out the tall glass of chocolate milk, Kadaj snatched it roughly from his hands. He pointed a furious finger at the Turks smiling face. "Not a word out of you, or your tongue meets my Souba. Got it?"

Reno gave an enthusiastic nod, that annoying smile never leaving his lips.

Grumbling under his breath, Kadaj pushed passed the Turk and headed upstairs. His heavy footfalls were loud against the creaking wood as he made his way into the narrow corridor the housed many small bedrooms. The sound of Reno's heavy boots quickly followed close behind him.

Entering the hallway, Kadaj could faintly hear the familiar sound of Yazoo's calm voice, followed by a high-pitched little giggle. The young Remnant exchanged an odd glance with Reno, before making his way at a quick speed towards his older brother's bedroom.

Swinging the door open, Kadaj found himself looking at an oddly heart-warming sight.

Yazoo was sitting cross-legged on his bed. His flowing silver locks tumbling elegantly over his lean proud shoulders, beautiful Mako green eyes cast downward. On his lap sat Marlene, one of the two children that lived above Seventh Heaven Bar with Cloud and Tifa. She was snuggled up in a small ball, a Moogle plushie doll clutched against her chest. A large book sat in front of them, held open by Yazoo's elegant leather-clad hands.

When he heard the door creak open, Yazoo's cat-slit eyes raised and met his younger brother's.

"Hello, Kadaj." He smiled faintly. "Nice to see you back home."

Kadaj hardly had a response. He was still surprised to see his fierce, swift, gun-slinging older brother in such an oddly adorable situation.

"Yaz…" Kadaj finally managed to say. "What're you doing?"

Yazoo opened his mouth to speak, but Marlene cut him off.

"Yazoo's reading me a story!" She said cheerfully. "He's very good at it. A lot better than Cloud. Cloud never put any feeling into it, or made the funny voices for the characters like Yazoo does!"

Kadaj raised an eyebrow. "Funny voices?"

"Yeah!" Marlene smiled, tilting her head back to look up at Yazoo admiringly.

The long-haired Remnant gave the young girl a small smile before looking back at Kadaj. "Yes. Just like when I used to read to you, Kadaj. Back when we were young. Don't you remember? You loved my funny voices."

Kadaj remembered instantly. He recalled those dark nights in the Shin-Ra laboratory, his little body sore and aching from the tireless experiments he had to endure everyday. He remembered Yazoo wiping the tears from his cheeks, and Loz ruffling through his then-shorter silver hair, whispering that it would all be okay. He remembered how he used to snuggle up between Yazoo and Loz, basking in the warmth and protection that was his older brothers. The stories Yazoo used to tell, they always took the pain away. They took the bad thoughts away. They were the only things that kept him sane during those long painful nights.

Kadaj smiled faintly, raising his head to meet Yazoo's eyes.

"Well, I'll leave you two to your stories." Kadaj said, gripping the doorknob. "If you need me, I'll be on the roof."

Yazoo nodded. "Will do."

Kadaj was about to close the door, when he remembered one last thing. He poked his head back into the room. "By the way, dinner was delicious."

"Of course it was." Yazoo smirked proudly. He flicked his hand. "Now shoo."

The youngest Remnant smiled and continued his way down the hall to the small set of stairs that lead to the rooftop. Reno followed at his heels. The hall was quiet. The only sound being their heavy footsteps, and the occasional clink of ice cubes swishing against the sides of Reno's glass.

Reaching the roof, Kadaj was met by a pleasantly cool breeze that brushed the ends of his hair against his neck and shoulders. The sky was painted with streaks of spectacular golds and reds, making him squint at the dramatic change of brightness. He walked over to the edge of the roof and carefully sat down, swinging his legs over the edge. Reno did the same thing, except he kept one knee bent to his chest, draping one arm casually over it.

They sat in silence for quite some time. Kadaj kept himself occupied with his crazy straw. The chocolate milk was delicious and helped mask the bitter taste of Scotch that still lingered on his tongue, but all those damned twirls and curves in the straw made it difficult for the thick liquid to find its way into his mouth. He frowned, stirring the milk to make it thinner.

He caught Reno smiling over in his direction.

Kadaj removed the straw from his lips. "What?"

"You look ridiculous with that straw, yo." The Turk chuckled.

The silver-haired youth shrugged. "At least it's better than that crap you're drinking."

Reno took a long sip of the amber liquid in his glass, his expression not even flinching at the taste. They stared at the blood-red sunset together, there seeming to be no need for words at the moment. For once, there was …peace. And in a world like theirs, it was better it not be wasted.

"Y'know, Kadaj…" Reno said softly after some time of silence. "You ain't half bad."

Kadaj looked over and smiled. "Thank you, Turk. You're partially pleasant yourself."

"Smartass." Reno snorted with a smirk. "And quit callin' me 'Turk, yo'. I've got a name."

"I know." Kadaj took another suck from his straw. "I just like 'Turk' better."

"Oh yeah?" Reno leaned back on his hand, which was now stretched out behind him. "So, what if I started calling you, I dunno, 'Remnant', or 'Clone'?"

The last name made the blood in Kadaj's body heat up. His hand nearly jerked for his Souba, but he restrained himself…for now. He lowered his head, his brow furrowed in anger.

"Did I hit a nerve?" Reno asked, the surprising sound of worry in his voice.

Kadaj shot him a venomous look. "You think?" He spat.

When the sudden touch of Reno's hand fell softly on his shoulder, Kadaj jumped back with surprise. No one before, other than his brothers, touched him. It felt strange, and it seemed Reno sensed his discomfort.

The Turk pulled his hand away. "Sorry…I really didn't mean it in a cruel way. I was just playin with ya."

Kadaj shook his head. "I know…it's just…all my life, all I've ever been is a Remnant. A copy. Just some piece of flesh and blood to serve as an avatar for the magnificent Sephiroth to rise again." He scoffed. "That's all I've ever been. The only people in this world who have treated me otherwise are my brothers. But, then again, they suffer the same fate."

There was a long and very uncomfortable silence between them.

"I'm real sorry." Reno finally said in a soft whisper.

The youth sighed deeply. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"You're pretty lucky, though."

Kadaj stared at the Turk. "Lucky? What about my situation is lucky?"

Reno met his eyes, and Kadaj was surprised to see he was…upset.

"At least you've got a family to help you through it all."

Kadaj blinked. "You don't?"

"Nah…" Reno looked out at the sunset. "Got no brothers or sisters, and my mom passed while giving birth to me. My dad was a Turk, and he raised me as well as he could. But, bein' the Turk he was, he was murdered when I was just fifteen. I've been all alone since then."

Kadaj stared silently at the red-haired man next to him. He had never seen this side of him before. The usually annoyingly cheerful, sarcastic, arrogant Turk looked close to crumbling in his own loneliness. He would've never guessed…

With a slight hesitation, Kadaj reached over and placed his gloved hand on Reno's shoulder. A move he'd never done before. A move he thought he'd never do…especially to Reno. He could feel Reno's warmth, even through the leather of his gloves. His fingers rested against lean, yet strong muscles. The redhead seemed surprised too, for he glanced oddly at the hand before meeting Kadaj's gaze.

Kadaj said nothing, but used that simple gesture as a sign that he felt for the Turk. He shared his pain and loneliness. He simply looked directly into the redhead's glistening powder blue eyes, and hoped he understood.

He did. A weak smile of thanks crossed Reno's lips. Satisfied, and feeling a little strange, Kadaj removed his hand from Reno's shoulder.

The Turk sighed deeply. "Well…I'd better get back. I've got an early day tomorrow, and Tseng will have my ass on a platter if I'm late."

Kadaj nodded, feeling slightly disappointed. "I see. Well, you'd better go then."

Reno lifted himself off the roofs edge and brushed the dirt from the back of his pants. He smiled down at Kadaj. "Believe it or not, I had fun today."

The young Remnant smiled. "Believe it or not…me too."

Reno saluted. "Well…goodnight, Kadaj."

Kadaj nodded. "Goodnight, Turk."

The redhead rolled his eyes and turned on his heels. The sound of his footsteps began to fade into the distance, and then suddenly stopped.

"You're not like him, you know." Came Reno's voice.

Kadaj looked back over his shoulder at the Turk. "Who?"

Reno turned and met Kadaj's eyes. "Sephiroth. You're not like him. Not one bit."

Kadaj couldn't utter a word in response before the Turk turned away and disappeared behind the door leading back inside the Bar. His mouth was still agape, long after the door shut.

And he could've sworn his heart had stopped for a second.


	6. Strange Emotions

**C H A P T E R - S I X**

"I told ye! I don't know nothin' 'bout nobody!"

Reno paused his excessive pacing through the shadows of the room, and stared into a pair of hollow, sunken eyes.

"That's a crock of bullshit, and you know it, yo." Reno hissed.

Over the past three weeks, Reno and Rude had continued their investigations on the Underground thug gang harassing the citizens of Midgar. Three weeks of long sleepless nights, hand cramps from filling out report after report, countless hours of interviewing witnesses and victims, and guzzling down a couple dozen steaming cups of rum-spiked coffee a day.

Their search hadn't gotten them very far. The citizens were very hush-hush about the attacks and harassments. Say they'd rather not run their mouths in fear of the consequences if the gang were to ever find out. Luckily, there were a few sane folks left in town, who'd secretly tip them off about locations where gang members were spotted more often than not.

He and Rude had found one of the thugs stumbling outside a bar near the outskirts of Midgar where the gang spent some of their nights. He was pretty intoxicated, and reeked of alcohol, sweat, and cigar smoke. But he was no threat. The most he did was mumble incoherent words at the two Turks when they finally managed to haul his heavy, stinking form back to one of the interrogation rooms at ShinRa.

The interrogation room was dark and cramped, enough to make any guilty man feel helpless and unnerved. Besides the glow of the afternoon sun barely shining through the tiny barred window, there was but one light source. That being the overhead lamp swinging directly above the small wooden chair the thug was currently strapped to. The heat from the lamp caused tiny sweat-droplets to form on the thug's forehead, matting the mop of greasy black hair to his dirt-stained, unshaven face. He was slowly sobering up, and only recently realized that his capture was more than just some alcohol-induced fantasy.

"It ain't bullshit." The thug mumbled, his gravelly voice low and distraught. "I don't know wha' you two is talkin' 'bout."

Reno tilted his head to the side. "Really, now? Nothing at all?" He approached the thug slowly. "You have no clue about the crimes you are your little gang have committed?"

"Wha' crimes?" Came the slurred response.

"Gee…I dunno." Reno shoved his fists in the pockets of his coat and shrugged. "Stealing, harassment, assault, vandalizing public and private properties, threatening citizens…" He raised an eyebrow. "Are the memories coming back yet, or should I continue? There's much more."

The thug snorted, a smirk playing the corner of his mouth. He shook his head slowly, eyes cast downward to the concrete floor.

"Somethin' funny?" Reno asked.

The man shrugged. "Jus' ironic, ya know?"

"Ironic?"

"Yeah…" The thug looked up and met Reno's eyes. The light above cast a haunting shadow across the contours of his face. "Yer givin' me shit and what not fer pickin' a few fights, an' takin' a carton of cigs from the corner store. I ain't killed nobody. I ain't some psychopath."

"No matter what, you break the laws in this city, you're a criminal." Reno frowned. "That's what's ironic to you?"

"Nah…" The thug chucked almost light-heartedly. "What's ironic to me, is the fact tha' while me an' my gang are getting' busted fer 'harassment', as yer callin' it, you and yer lil' Turk buddies go around the city like ye own the place, killin' and kidnappin' without a care in the world. Yer more of a criminal than I am."

In a fit of rage, Reno swiftly backhanded the thug across the face, sending the man flying to the floor in a heap, chair and all. A trickle of blood slowly poured from the man's nose, coating the already-blood--stained concrete floor in a small crimson pool.

He knew the boorish man had a point. Not many people in this city enjoyed the company of the Turks. They were a society that performed covert operations on behalf of the ShinRa Electric Power Company. Operations such as espionage, kidnappings, and assassinations. Reno lived most of his life being loathed by many, and respected by few. He had done things he was not proud of, but it was his job. He had no choice.

Reno growled, and pointed a threatening finger at the thug's face. "Let that be a warnin' to ya. Talk bad about me or my colleagues again, yo, and I ain't gonna spare your sorry excuse of a life. Got that?"

The only response he got from the man was a slight groan of pain complete with a feeble nod. Reno looked across the room and met Rude's dark eyes, no longer hidden by his signature black shades. He was standing in the shadows of the claustrophobic room, leaving Reno to interrogate the suspect himself. Reno, being his superior, preferred to speak to the criminals first, before he brought in the muscle to assist him.

"Help the asshole up, Rude."

As his partner hoisted the thug back into his original seating position, Reno walked over to the window and lit a cigarette. Gazing up at cloudless Cerulean sky, the redheaded Turk took a long drag of the cigarette, letting the nicotine warm his body and steady his unusually shaking hands. His nerves were a complete wreck. His mind felt like a busy intersection. So many things passing through it at once, it was hard to stay focused on any task at hand.

But there was this one little thought that constantly stabbed at him, poking annoyingly at his subconscious like that one kid who always sat behind you in class. It refused to leave him alone, no matter how hard he tried. It was there when he slept, and when he awoke; it was there when he drank, and it was there when he worked. It was always there.

Kadaj.

He didn't know if all this tedious work was causing him to slowly lose his mind, but that young silver-haired man's name had been forever burned into his subconscious. He couldn't drive his face, his voice, his laugh from his thoughts. It was frightening and wonderful all at the same time. Reno sometimes found himself lying awake at night, eyes cast to the ceiling, wondering if he was becoming as deranged as Hojo.

With his hectic schedule over the past three weeks, Reno hardly had the time to see Kadaj since that evening on the rooftop. On occasion, he and Rude would drop by the bar late at night for a drink, but wouldn't stay long. Kadaj was usually upstairs in bed by then, and when he wasn't, all Reno usually got was a nod of acknowledgement, or a small smile before the youth occupied himself with polishing his Souba or talking to his brothers. The occasional few words were exchanged between the Turk and Kadaj, but they hadn't had a full conversation together since that evening.

Everyone around seemed to be thoroughly pleased that the bickering between them had finally ceased, but Reno silently wished he and the Remnant would argue again. He wanted to find a way to push the youth's buttons, just for an excuse to speak to him once more. Hell, some nights, he even found himself taking a detour through the city on his way home, just to pass by the bar in hopes of at least getting a glimpse of the Remnant leader.

Reno had no idea what could've provoked him to feel this way. It was just last month that he positively loathed the young Remnant, and consistently tried to convince Cloud that his brothers shouldn't be trusted. Now, all he could think about was that evening on the rooftop, and the way Kadaj had touched his shoulder with the tenderness and compassion that was so unlike the rebellious young Remnant. Reno knew from that second on that he cared for the boy. He truly did care for him more than he had cared for anything ever before.

Was it love? No. But it must've been pretty close to it.

The redheaded Turk exhaled slowly, letting a delicate cloud of white smoke flow gracefully from his lips to dance through the air around his head before finally vanishing.

He made up his mind.

The only way to get these incomprehensibly disturbing thoughts to finally fade from existence was to tell Kadaj. He didn't know when, he didn't know where, and he certainly didn't know how, but he knew these feelings needed to come out. And who knows…maybe Kadaj will be so appalled that he'd kill Reno with one swift slice of Souba. That'd be one way of finally putting all this madness to an end.

But what if he actually cared back?

Reno shook his head, banishing such questions from his mind. That was not the thing to worry about. Of course Kadaj didn't care about him. Not the way Reno cared, at least. He wasn't so sure Kadaj cared for anyone other than his brothers and Jenova. Hell, Reno wasn't even sure if he was even considered a "friend" in Kadaj's book. An acquaintance…maybe. Friend? Not so much.

Reno nearly jumped a foot in the air when he felt a strong hand suddenly touch his shoulder. He spun around, his hand clutching his chest in shock.

"For the love of Gaia, Rude." Reno breathed, trying to steady the heart that was currently in his throat. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

His long-time partner frowned. "Sorry. It's just…are you alright?"

"Fine." Reno muttered, taking another drag of his cigarette. "Why?"

Rude shrugged. "You seem tense lately. I've never seen you get physical with a suspect just for a few harsh words being thrown out."

Reno clutched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, the cigarette still balancing between his lips. "Sorry, yo. I'm just so damn tired, and it's making me irritable."

Rude nodded glancing back at the thug that as still positioned under the overhead lamp. "Once we're done here, how bout you head home early while I write up the final report for Tseng?"

Reno smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, partner. But, if you don't mind, I'd actually like to drop by Seventh Heaven for a bit."

"I wouldn't put it passed you." Rude turned away. "Now let's get this shit over and done with so you can get your drink."

Reno threw his cigarette on the floor and stomped it out with a frown.

It wasn't a drink he was seeking.

* * *

"Dammit! I can't reach!"

Kadaj glowered up at the wooden clothespins currently clipped way above his head on the clothesline stretched between Seventh Heaven Bar and the neighbouring building. He crossed his arms in resentment, silently despising his curse of being somewhat vertically challenged.

It was an early autumn evening. The streets of Midgar were alive with the sounds of chatter, and footsteps, along with the occasional roar of a motorbike or car passing by the alleyway. It was fairly windy too, making it even more frustrating for Kadaj to gather the laundry without being smacked in the face with one of Cloud's billowing shirts, or tangled in an out-of-control tablecloth.

Tifa had taken the liberty of sending the three silver-haired brothers outside to fetch the laundry from the clothesline. She stated it as "chores", but Kadaj knew it was just a way to get Yazoo out of the way while she tried to prepare dinner for everyone. The young woman hadn't been allowed to set foot in the kitchen for the past few weeks. Yazoo preferred complete seclusion while he worked, and it clearly frustrated everyone who wasn't used to it.

"Having trouble reaching, Kadaj?" Loz asked as he folded one of Denzel's shirts and tossed it into the basket.

Kadaj didn't remove his glaring Mako vision from the clothespins. "No, I'm fine."

"Are you so sure, brother dear?" Yazoo smirked, reaching up to unclip a nightshirt from the line with obvious grace and ease. "Would you like me to get that for you?"

"No!" Kadaj growled, stomping his foot on the ground like a temperamental toddler. "I can get it myself!"

Yazoo sniggered, brushing his long, billowing silver locks from his face. "If you say so."

Kadaj ground his teeth in irritation. At five feet, six inches, he had always been the shortest of his brothers. And they never seemed to let him live it down, no matter what he did. One time, he nearly strangled Loz to death when he couldn't help but giggle uncontrollably while pointing out the obvious height difference in their shadows.

Kadaj rubbed his chin in thought, looking around the alleyway. "Hmm…maybe if I get a running start?" he asked himself.

Yazoo let out a small spurt of laughter which, when noticing the look his youngest brother was giving him, he quickly covered up by clamping his hand over his mouth.

Kadaj glared. "Would you like me to choke you with a sock, dear brother? Because I will."

Yazoo quickly gathered his composure, his laughter dying down to an amused smile. "I apologize, Kadaj."

The Remnant leader looked over at Loz, who was biting his lip to keep himself from giggling.

"Not a word out of you." Kadaj scolded. "Now get on your knees."

Loz raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Kadaj bristled. He hated having to repeat himself. "Knees. Now."

The oldest Remnant hesitated a second, exchanging a worried glance with Yazoo, before dropping to his knees before Kadaj. Yazoo stopped working and watched the strange sight, both curious and amused.

Taking advantage of Loz's incredible strength, Kadaj climbed up his back as if it were a set of stairs. He balanced himself so that he was standing straight atop his brother's broad shoulders. He was at the perfect height now.

"Don't move." Kadaj muttered.

Reaching out, Kadaj grabbed hold of the clothesline and unclipped one of the nightshirts Cloud had lent to him. It fell into his arms with ease. Smiling, Kadaj yanked whatever items he could reach before leaping off of Loz's shoulders and landing on the ground with catlike ease.

"Ha!" Kadaj grinned proudly, holding up the mound of clothes in his arms. He smirked smugly towards Yazoo. "See? This is why I'm the leader and you're not. I'm resourceful."

"Indeed you are." Yazoo chuckled, tilting his head to the side.

Before he could even begin to fold the clothes, Kadaj froze, ears pricking at a strange little noise.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Loz asked while folding a tablecloth.

Kadaj listened intently. "It sounded like…giggles."

Yazoo looked around the alley. "I don't see anyone."

"Shh…" Kadaj whispered, dropping the heap of laundry into the basket.

Mako-induced hearing allowed the young Remnant to pick up on the small sound instantly. It was tiny little giggles, and they were close by. That was certain. They sounded as if they were coming from…behind the laundry?

Yazoo and Loz must've heard it too, for their cat-slit eyes were now fixed on a massive white bed sheet hanging on the line. The laughter was coming from behind it.

Slowly, Kadaj slunk closer and closer to the source of the sound. His steps were soft and graceful, almost silent against the pavement. A useful manoeuvre he and his brothers had perfected over the years. Reaching his hand out, Kadaj grabbed the sheet and yanked it off the line, allowing himself to come nose to nose with a pair of big dark green eyes.

Kadaj gave a yelp of surprise, stumbling backwards and falling rear-first into the basket of laundry which sent clothes flying through the air. The giggles exploded into familiar high-pitched laughter.

"Yuffie!" he shouted. "What the hell?"

The teenage ninja grinned broadly at the Remnant leader currently stuck inside the laundry basket. She folded her hands behind her back, rocking back and forth on her heels in a childlike manner. "Evening, boys! How are you?"

"Brilliant, as you can so plainly see." Kadaj grumbled, pulling himself free of the basket.

"What're you doing here?" Loz asked the young girl.

Yuffie smiled cheerfully, her eyes never leaving Kadaj. "We were in the neighbourhood, and decided to drop by for a visit."

"We?" Kadaj raised a slender silver brow.

"Boys!" Came the loud, familiar call of Cid Highwind, currently stationed at the back door of the bar, cigarette in hand. "Y'all get yer things and come in! Tifa say's dinner's ready!"

"You came with Cid?" Yazoo asked the young brunette.

Yuffie nodded, her eyes still transfixed on Kadaj. "Mhmm. And Vincent. But, I guess that was a no-brainer seeing how they're married and all. Can't really go anywhere without the man you love, right?"

Kadaj didn't meet her gaze. He knew that the girl was interested in him; she had been ever since he started living with Cloud. But it made him so damn uncomfortable. Time and time again, he would make it obvious that he had no interest in her, and still she persisted. At first it was tolerable, and even a little flattering, but now Kadaj was just irritated.

Yazoo and Loz were already heading inside when Kadaj began to follow. Yuffie, as usual, walked close by.

"So…" She smiled. "You got any Materia on you?"

The silver-haired Remnant sighed. "For the last time, Yuffie, no I do not have any Materia on me. Because one: seeing as how my last encounter with Materia didn't exactly go well with Cloud, I am forbidden from going near it, and two: if I did in fact possess Materia, I would not in any way hand it over to you. Does that answer your-"

Kadaj stopped in mid-sentence when something inside him suddenly didn't feel right. He halted as his hands began to shake. He felt this feeling before…

"Kadaj?" Came Yuffie's concerned voice. "Are you okay?"

"I…I don't…" Kadaj didn't have time to finish his sentence when the sudden familiar electrifying jolt of pain coursed through his veins, sending him tumbling to his knees with a cry. It was happening again. The convulsions, the pain...

Yuffie cried out in panicked horror. "Kadaj! Oh my God! Yazoo! Loz! Cloud! Somebody help! Help him!"

Kadaj screamed in agony. It felt as if every cell in his body was on fire. It was like he was slowly being burned from the inside out. Every bone, every muscle, every organ, every inch of skin shrieked in agony as the jolts continued. He was so weak. He couldn't hold himself up any longer. The pain…dear sweet Mother, the pain! Kadaj couldn't stop the tears from stinging his eyes.

The sounds of his brother's voices seemed almost distant. They knew of these attacks. Kadaj had taken the time to tell them about that night in the rain when he had his very first painful experience. That was also the last. He hadn't felt the pain again until now. On occasion, he'd have a sudden headache or some fatigue, but nothing more. Yazoo and Loz kept a close eye on him after that. They almost treated him as though he was made of glass. So protective and worried. It must've killed them to watch him suffer in the split second that their backs were turned.

His brother's forms were but a blur in Kadaj's vision. Their desperate touches felt like feathers brushing against his skin. He couldn't feel them. He was numb. Almost paralyzed from the pain. It just wouldn't stop!

_Dear Mother, make it stop!_

The world was turning black. That intense need to sleep was consuming him again. He didn't want to give in; for fear that he would never awake. But, it was just too much. He needed the pain to end. He didn't want to suffer anymore. It hurt so much…

After one last failed attempt at fighting the agony, Kadaj surrendered into the painless depths of the darkness.


	7. The Perfect Outcome

**C H A P T E R - S E V E N**

Lifting his fist, Reno pounded hard on the front door of Seventh Heaven.

The wind billowed through his clothes and hair, piercing his currently bruised and tender skin with its bitter coldness. Reno shivered.

It was late. Too late. He knew he should've come sooner, but that damned interrogation lasted a lot longer than he had planned. It must've been about one in the morning by now. A little late to be pounding on the bar door demanding a word with Kadaj.

It would've been less risky if he just spoke to the young Remnant tomorrow at a more decent time. But he couldn't. Not the way he was feeling. He needed to let it all out immediately. If not, the thoughts would haunt him all night, deprive him of any sleep, and he'd see Kadaj tomorrow while stumbling over his words like some blubbering idiot.

Reno stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket, feeling colder by the second. His knuckles stung sharply from the interrogation. He took a shot at the thug, but the bastard ducked, and sent the Turk's fist crashing into the brick wall behind him, tearing off skin. That, plus his skull was throbbing from being thrown to the floor, which caused a small bloody gash to form just above his left eyebrow. It stung like a bitch.

Frustrated and freezing, Reno slammed his aching fist against the door again. Finally, familiar voice shouted from behind the door.

"Hold on! I'm comin'! Don't get yer panties in a knot!"

Reno recognized the voice before he saw the face that opened the door.

Cid Highwind; the gruff, chain-smoking, foul-mouthed, tea-drinking captain of the elite ships "Highwind" and "Shera", and one of the lead members of AVALANCHE. A rough-and-tumble kind of guy with a heart of gold. The kind of man Reno had always admired. A man that consistently reminded him of his father.

Cid stared at Reno with his steel-blue eyes and short, unkempt blonde locks adorned with a pair of pilot goggles. He took a long drag of the cigarette that always hung from his lips. "I know you. Yer one of them Turks. Uhm…Rambo, ain't it?"

"Reno." The redhead corrected.

Cid nodded. "Ahh…yeah. Reno. I remember you. What you think you're doin' here at this time, boy? It's a lil' late to be drinkin', ain't it?"

"I ain't here to drink, Cid." Reno frowned. "I need to talk to someone."

"Who?" The gruff pilot asked. "Everyone in this place is sleepin', far as I know."

Reno shivered. "C-Can we discuss this inside? I'm freezing my ass off, yo."

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" Cid stepped aside and allowed the redheaded Turk to walk in, before shutting the door behind him. "Don't make any noise, boy. Or it'll be my ass on the line."

Reno breathed a sigh of content as the warmth of the room quickly overtook his aching body. The room was desolate and quiet, a satisfying contrast to the usual hustle-and-bustle he was so accustomed to experiencing when entering the bar. The lighting in the room was very dim; it almost kept Reno from noticing the dark form seated at the far end of the bar.

"Evenin' Vinnie!" Reno grinned cheerfully at the dark form. "You're looking exceptionally sullen tonight."

"I've told you a thousand times, Reno, don't call me that." Came a gravelly voice from the shadows.

"What? Sullen?"

"No. Vinnie."

The redhead smirked. Being a dark, brooding, soft-spoken man, Vincent Valentine wasn't what most people would call the 'bright and sunny' type. The life of the former Turk gunman had been brutally tainted by tragedy and sin when he was viciously experimented on, thus cursing his body with five notorious demons. Though presented with the capabilities to do much evil to the world, Vincent was a loyal ally to AVALANCHE.

His appearance did not mask his personality, either. Vincent was a tall, lean man, pale skinned, with long silken raven locks, and sinfully crimson eyes. His left hand and arm was adorned with a metallic golden gauntlet, and he wore a long, ragged red cloak and mantle over black clothes. He looked like the physical form of all the sin that tainted their world.

Vincent looked so in-place amongst the shadows of the bar, Reno didn't even bother to ask why the two men were awake at this time of night to begin with.

"What happened to yer face, boy?" Cid asked, frowning over at Reno. "Ya look like you've run smack into a wall."

"Oh." Reno shook his head. "Nah, just Turk business. A suspect got a little out of hand. Nothing to worry about, yo."

"I see." Cid sauntered passed Reno and took a seat next to his dark husband. "Now, what is it ya want?"

The Turk shrugged a bit. "I just need a quick word with Kadaj."

"At this time of night?" Vincent raised a suspicious eyebrow.

Reno smirked a bit. "It's the only free time I've had for a long time, yo. Been workin' my ass off on a case for the past three weeks. I haven't had the time to speak to him."

"Couldn't ya wait till mornin'?" Cid asked as he took another drag of his cigarette.

"It'll only be a few minutes." Reno stated reassuringly. "Just a quick word, then I'm out of here. Please?"

The two men exchanged a quick glance, before the gruff captain finally nodded with a deep sigh. "But make it quick. The boy's had a rough day."

Reno blinked. "What do you mean?"

Vincent brushed back a few strands of dark hair from his face. "He had some sort of attack earlier this evening. One second he was fine, and the next he's convulsing on the ground, screaming in agony. It was rather unnerving. Everyone was terrified that he was going to die."

Reno felt his throat clench. "Is…is he alright now?"

"He's fine." Cid smiled lightly, which allowed Reno's heart to settle. "Seems perfectly healthy to me. Course, I ain't no doctor, but a few hours after he had that little fit, the boy looked as if nothin' happened to 'im. When we asked 'im what it was that made 'im go all nutty like that, he said he didn't know. Said he must be sick or somethin'." Cid snorted. "I may not be the smartest man in the world, but I've seen my share o' ailments and diseases, and this thing was like nothin' I'd ever seen."

"The most important this is that he's alive and stable for now." Vincent reassured his husband. "We can only hope it won't happen again."

"Yer righ', Vince." Cid smiled warmly, placing his gloved hand over Vincent's gleaming claw. He looked up at Reno. "You can go up to see 'im now. His room's the one at the end of the hall. Try not to wake everyone."

Reno nodded and proceeded up the stairs without another word or a second glance at the couple. He was too busy keeping his heart from bursting out of his throat. Kadaj had had another seizure. He really was sick. A lot sicker than he made himself out to be. What was happening to him?

The upstairs hallway was dark and deathly quiet. Reno tried as best as he could to not make too much noise. He took light, slow, measured steps passed the many bedroom doors, wincing every time the floorboards creaked under his boots. He could faintly hear the soft snores and mumbles coming from within the rooms. Everyone was still asleep. Thank God.

Kadaj's room was at the end of the hall. Reno paused in front of the door and listened intently for any sounds coming from inside the room. It was silent. Not even the sound of snores was heard. That worried him a little more than what he was planning to say once the Remnant opened the door.

Lifting his fist, Reno knocked on the door, making sure he didn't knock loud enough to wake the entire house. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he waited. There was still dead silence coming from within the room. No sound of footsteps, shuffling, or even a voice. Reno sighed. Kadaj was not making this easy for him. He was tense enough without all this Goddamn anticipation.

Just as he was about to knock again, the bedroom door suddenly swung open and Kadaj appeared in the doorway. He blinked his tired cat-slit eyes, clearly having been just woken up. "The hell do you want at this hour?"

Reno couldn't muster an answer at the moment. He was too busy staring unbelievably at the youth.

Kadaj wasn't clad in his usual vicious skin-tight leather jumpsuit or armour. Instead, he wore a pair of baggy dark-blue cotton trousers and a black tank top that clearly belonged to Cloud, seeing as it was two sizes too big for the young Remnant. One of the straps hung loosely off one of Kadaj's lean, strong shoulders. He was barefoot too, lowering his usual height about half an inch. His usually flawless silver locks were slightly dishevelled from sleep. A look Reno positively adored on the youth. He had to remind himself to breathe, but God…the way he looked.

"I-I…uh…well…it's…" Reno stammered, still overwhelmed.

Kadaj tilted his head to the side, frowning. "What happened to your face?"

The Turk blinked. "What? I…Oh! Oh that. It's nothing. Just the usual Turk business. A suspect got a bit physical."

"I'd say." Kadaj stepped toward him, Mako eyes squinting up at the gash on his forehead. "That thing's pretty deep." He looked down. "Your hand's messed up as well."

"It's nothing no worry about." Reno reassured him.

"Hmm…" Kadaj thought for a second. "I may have something for that. Come inside."

"Really, yo, it's alright." Reno smiled a bit. "I just need to talk to you."

"You can talk while I fix your head." Kadaj held the door open. "Now get in the room."

"Kadaj, really, it's-"

"Move your ass before I grab you by that thing you call a ponytail and drag you in."

Giving a defeated sigh, Reno walked passed the Remnant and into his room. It was a small bedroom with steel blue walls abundant in framed photographs and drawings from Denzel and Marlene, dark carpet, and large curtained window. A twin bed stood near the window, along with a short, wooden bedside table dressed with a small lamp and a few books. Kadaj's leather suit was thrown over the back of an armchair near the door, while his Souba was hung ever-so-carefully over a hook on the wall.

The room was quite dark, too. The only light source was the pale moonlight glowing outside the large window. Not nearly enough to fully illuminate the room. Reno had to make sure he didn't go crashing into anything as he carefully made his way over to Kadaj's bed.

"How're you feeling?" Reno asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

Kadaj was currently fumbling about in his beside drawer. He didn't look up at him. "They told you, didn't they?"

"Who?" The Turk frowned.

Kadaj was still too preoccupied to look up. "Captain Highwind and Vincent. They've been downstairs for most of the night. They told you about what happened to me, didn't they?"

"Well…yes." Reno's brow creased with worry. "You had another seizure. Like the one you had that night a few weeks ago."

"It's nothing." Kadaj muttered.

"No it isn't, yo." Reno protested more passionately than he expected. "You're sick, Kadaj. People don't normally collapse spontaneously in a fit of agony. There's something wrong with you."

To his surprise, the silver-haired youth chuckled. "You sound just like my brothers. I'm not a kid; I can take care of myself."

"Yes, but-"

"Aha!" Kadaj suddenly shouted in glee. "Found it!"

The redhead blinked when Kadaj pulled out a case, no bigger than a tissue box, from the drawer. He sat cross-legged on the bed in front of Reno and set the case down between them.

"What's in there?" The Turk asked curiously. "Healing Materia? Phoenix Down?"

Kadaj snorted. "I wish. No one will let me go near the stuff. Not after the stunt I pulled last time." He removed the lid. "It contains bandages, tape, cotton balls, needle and thread, and rubbing alcohol."

"The hell you got that for, yo?"

The youth smirked. "Believe it or not, this stuff comes in handy when you're a swordsman. Now give me your hand. We can talk while I work."

Reno frowned. "You really don't have to-"

"Shut up and give me your hand, Turk."

Reno obliged, holding his stinging hand out to Kadaj. The youth proceeded to soak a few cotton balls in the rubbing alcohol. When he took Reno's hand in his, the Turk was surprised at how soft and warm it was. With Kadaj's skin as pale and flawless as the winter moon, Reno would've never expected such warmth ascending from his body.

"Now…" Kadaj said as he ran the wet cotton over the torn skin. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Reno winced, not just at the sting, but at the fact that this was it. It was time to tell him. "Oh, well…uh…you see, Kadaj, the life of a Turk isn't an easy one."

"I can tell."

"We as Turks must sacrifice a lot in order to sustain peace and order within our lives." Reno continued. "We can't really come in contact with our families as often as we'd like, nor have any close friends. This is because of safety reasons. Being a Turk means that you have many enemies. Constant danger lurks around each corner. Your life is constantly threatened, and with that, the lives of the one's you love."

"Makes sense." Kadaj muttered as he began to wrap a bandage around Reno's knuckles.

"When I became a Turk, I had to make a solemn vow to not get involved with anyone outside the business, in order to prevent any unnecessary collateral damage if my life was ever threatened. I had to promise myself and my superiors that I would not care for anyone under any circumstances. But…" He trailed off.

Kadaj softly began to wipe a new cotton ball across the cut on Reno's forehead. "But?"

Reno sighed, hating how much his heart was racing inside his chest. Hating how beautiful Kadaj looked in the moonlight. Hating how much he loved the feel of the youth's hands against his skin. "But, I don't think I can keep that promise."

The youth raised a silver brow. "Why not?"

"Because I find myself caring very deeply for you."

There. He said it. Done. Over.

_Oh God, someone kill me now._

Reno couldn't meet Kadaj's eyes. He couldn't bear to see the look of confusion, of disgust. He just stared down at the bed sheets, trying hard to preoccupy his racing mind with the thread count in the blanket. The room was as quiet and still as death itself.

The Turk felt his heart clench. "Your silence isn't comforting, yo."

He waited. Still, no sound.

Reno finally looked up at the Remnant, who was currently staring down at something. "Please, say something."

A moment of silence, then, "Why?"

"Because this silence is awkward."

Kadaj shook his head. "No. Why do you care about me? No one cares."

Reno's jaw dropped. "That's not true, Kadaj. There are many people who care about you. Your brothers, Cloud, Tifa, the kids, Vincent, Cid, Yuffie, the list goes on."

Gleaming Mako eyes met his. "You don't understand. I grew up knowing that no one in this world would ever care for me as much as my Mother did. I was always told that no one would ever accept me, and that my soul purpose was to live for pleasing Mother. When the duty was done, she was to love me and cherish me. Just like I was promised." The youth's voice choked back tears. "I guess you can imagine what I must've felt when I was overshadowed by Sephiroth. When the only person in this world who could ever care for me pushed me aside like I was nothing compared to him. You see, Turk? No one cares."

Reno couldn't stop himself from grabbing hold of Kadaj's hands. "That's bullshit, Kadaj. Whatever those bastards in the Labs made you believe was nothing but lies. They only did that to control you, to brainwash you into thinking that you were exactly like Sephiroth, and the only way you could please your Mother was to be just like him." He squeezed the soft hands. "What I said back on the roof a few weeks ago wasn't a lie, Kadaj! You're nothing like Sephiroth. You're your own person. Not some puppet. Not a pawn or avatar. You proved all those idiots wrong."

Kadaj's green Mako eyes gleamed with disbelief, his jaw hung open, yet he did not pull his hands away. He didn't speak, didn't shout, or make the usual sarcastic remark. Instead, he suddenly collapsed into Reno's embrace, burying his face in the Turk's neck.

Reno blinked, shocked at the Remnant's sudden gesture of weakness and trust. Of compassion and sorrow. An action he didn't expect coming from anyone like Kadaj. He could feel the youth trembling against him; the redhead wrapped his arms around the smaller, lithe body and held him close. He could feel Kadaj's hot breaths brushing against his flesh. He softly stroked his hand over the silken silver locks, trying as best as he could to soothe the boy's troubled soul.

This certainly wasn't a situation he planned out for tonight.

Pulling away slightly, Reno cupped Kadaj's face, and gently lifted his head up, allowing him easy access to the youth's full, moist lips.

It was a quick kiss. Nothing passionate. Just a tender peck. It lasted no more than a second, yet Reno found himself reluctantly pulling away.

Kadaj blinked up at him, eyes wide. "You…you kissed me."

"Yes I did." Reno didn't remove his hand from Kadaj's warm cheek. "Consider that proof that those bastards were wrong. That there is someone on this planet that cares for you more than your Mother." He smiled. "And if you still don't believe me, you have full permission to hit me."

Green cat-slit eyes searched his for a moment. Reno half-expected to be punched out at any moment. Clearly the boy had never been kissed before, and the one person who finally does it just had to be a previous enemy. The Turk really wished he had thought this whole thing through.

Suddenly, Kadaj grabbed the sides of Reno's face and pulled his lips down against his. Reno was shocked, puzzled, but didn't complain in the least bit. This kiss lasted a bit longer than the last. Reno felt his entire body warm up as though a furnace had suddenly been turned on inside him. It was unreal.

The youth pulled back, eyes gleaming. "You're only allowed to care for me on one condition."

"Name it." Reno breathed.

Kadaj smiled. He smiled that same warm wonderful smile that made the Turk's heart leap. Running his fingers along the exposed area of Reno's chest, he whispered, "I get to care for you in return."

The redhead grinned, pulling the youth up onto his lap. "Done."

Wrapping his arms around Reno's neck, Kadaj leaned in for another kiss. A longer, deeper, heart-stopping kiss. Reno returned it in kind, basking in the feel of the Remnant seated on top of his lap, lithe legs positioned on either side of his waist, chest pressed against his in a moment that allowed their two hearts to beat as one. He couldn't have asked for a more perfect outcome.

Wrapping his arms around the youth's lean waist, Reno deepened the kiss. He took full advantage of Kadaj's slightly parted lips, and slid his tongue inside the youth's mouth. Kadaj gasped slightly, moaning at the feel of Reno's tongue exploring the hot, wet cavern of his mouth. The Turk could feel his hands clutch the back of his red hair in a moment that almost made him forget his own name.

Kadaj tasted like nothing he'd ever experienced before. Hot and sweet. Overpowering and compulsive. Deliciously addictive, like a drug. It was a miracle and a sin all at the same time.

He tasted like poison.

And Reno was addicted.


	8. Addicted

**C H A P T E R - E I G H T**

Gripping tightly onto Kadaj, Reno carefully rolled him over onto the bed.

The young Remnant was under him now, wrists pinned down by Reno's hands, luscious lips refusing to part from his. Reno kissed him tenderly, still in awe that this was the same notorious young ne'er-do-well that threatened all of humanity but a year ago. Reno silently hated himself for having ever thought ill of Kadaj. His Kadaj.

His, now and forever.

The Turk reluctantly parted his lips from Kadaj's and looked down at him. He was flushed and breathless, cat-slit eyes sparkling, silver locks falling elegantly over his fair face. The boy was utterly gorgeous. Reno released one Kadaj's wrists to reach down and stroke the soft skin of his face with the back of his hand; the Remnant smiled just a little.

"Damn…" The redhead breathed. "You're so beautiful."

Kadaj's smiled widened the tiniest bit. "Stupid Turk," he murmured, reaching up to brush the red mess of hair out of Reno's face. His fingers ran through the loose strands.

Reno's ponytail tumbled over his shoulder, and fell forward to tangle with Kadaj's silver locks. Leaning forward, the Turk kissed him again, hungrily, wanting only to savour this delicious creature that now belonged entirely to him. Kadaj closed his eyes and shuddered as the redhead's lips found their way around the line of his jaw and down his neck; Reno reached down and pulled on the bottom of the youth's black tank top, while still flicking his tongue along the soft skin of his neck and breathing deeply of his scent. He smelled so good--like a night after a rainfall.

Reno slid his hand under the hem of the Remnant's shirt, letting it slide slowly along his hot stomach, relishing the feeling of the flat, hard planes of muscle under his palm. Kadaj shivered as the redhead's hands roamed over his body, caressing his soft pale skin.

Reno moved to kiss him again, ravishing the swordsman's delicious mouth with his own, tasting him and nearly losing himself in the rapture that was Kadaj. The youth was letting out little moans and whimpers, moving against Reno as he teased him; driving the Turk wild to the point where, as he raised Kadaj up to remove his shirt, he couldn't because he was unwilling to release his lips. He was so addictive…

The silver-haired Remnant pushed Reno away and smiled before taking the hem of his shirt and pulling it off of himself. He tossed the garment off the bed; white moonlight illuminated the contours of his taut young body.

"Stupid Turk," was all Kadaj had time to get out before Reno seized him hungrily and kissed him with a new and uncontrollable ferocity.

The redhead moved his lips over to whisper in the Remnant's ear. "Oh no. You don't get away that easily." He pushed Kadaj back down onto the bed and began to slowly kiss his way down his chest. "You know my name. Say it. Say 'Reno'."

Kadaj shook his head vehemently, even as the redhead's gentle touches caused him to claw at the bed sheets. "Stupid Turk," he muttered stubbornly.

"Wrong answer, Kadaj," Reno murmured. His mouth found one of the youth's nipples and closed over it.

The silver-haired Remnant let out a long, gasping moan that nearly did it for Reno then and there. He could feel one of the youth's hands playing with the back of his crimson locks. The Turk smiled inwardly. He wanted his Kadaj to enjoy this.

"Say my name." Reno whispered.

Kadaj shuddered convulsively, arcing upwards for a moment as the redhead's hot breath teased the sensitive flesh. "Stupid Turk," he hissed through clenched teeth.

Reno smiled again, this time for real. "Last chance."

He planted a long moist kiss right on the center of Kadaj's abdomen, watching as the toned muscles rippled in spasmodic reaction. Reno let his hand stray from Kadaj's hip to ever-so-slightly brush his crotch.

The Remnant arced upward at the touch with a near agonized moan. "R-Re-Reno," he gasped between each syllable, pressing his hot body against the Turk's.

Reno smiled, wrapping his arms around the swordsman and holding him close. He brushed back a few strands of silver hair and whispered, "Say it again."

Kadaj stared breathlessly up at him. "Reno…"

The redhead feathered his lips against the Remnant's soft cheek. "Again."

The silver-haired boy nuzzled his warm face against his. "…Reno…"

The Turk couldn't stand it anymore. The way his name flowed out of those full lush lips…it sounded so wonderful. So right. So perfect. As if his name was meant to be spoken by Kadaj and only Kadaj.

This was more than an infatuation. More than a simple attraction. More than just caring. He felt so much more than what he thought he felt only hours ago.

He loved Kadaj. Honest and truly loved him. The boy made his heart race, make his skin tingle with warmth, made his life worthwhile. Right now. Right here. In this dark room, holding Kadaj's body against his own, feeling his hot breaths against his skin, his hands through his hair, his heart race against his chest…it all felt so right.

The Turk brushed the silver fringe of hair off of Kadaj's face and stared deeply into his eyes. Only then did he notice that the Remnant's eyes were not only emerald green, but cerulean blue as well. Both colours seemed to glow in the darkness of the room. They were like moonlight glinting across a winter's pond. Flawless and stunning. Perfection only interrupted by the black sliver of cat-pupil running straight down the middle.

Kadaj traced a finger over the red tattoos painted across his cheekbones and whispered, "What're you staring at?"

All the redhead could do as smile. He leaned in close, wanting nothing more than to kiss this beautiful man over and over again.

Suddenly, a loud knock echoed off the door. "Reno! Ya still in there, boy?"

Reno gasped, releasing his grip on Kadaj. He leapt frantically off the bed and tumbled to the floor. He slid under the bed, heart racing furiously. He completely forgot about Cid. Shit! He knew if the gruff captain caught him in such a state with Kadaj, he'd ring his neck.

When the bedroom door creaked open, Reno's heart nearly jumped into his throat. He watched intently and with waited breath. All he could see were Cid's boots standing in the doorway.

"Kadaj?" Came Cid's voice. "Where's Reno?"

"Reno?" The youth asked, slightly out of breath.

"Ya know. Reno? Tall, red hair, says 'yo' an awful lot?"

"Oh! Reno!" Kadaj said a little too enthusiastically. "He left."

"Left? How could 'e have left?" Cid asked unbelievably. "Me an' Vince have been downstairs this whole time!"

Reno bit his lip.

"Well…" Kadaj began. "He felt kind of bad for making so much noise when he came up here, so he decided to climb out the window to go home. He said he didn't want to risk waking Cloud. And you know how Cloud can be when he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. Reno didn't want to have to deal with it. He's been gone for some time now."

There was a moment of silence that seemed to drag on for an eternity. It was killing Reno.

"I see." Cid finally spoke. "What'd 'e want to speak to ye about?"

Kadaj sounded slightly less jittery. "Oh, nothing important. Just wanted to know if I wanted to take another flight on his helicopter tomorrow."

"That's it?" Cid gaped. "That's why 'e came 'ere at this God-fersaken hour? A helicopter ride?"

"What can I say?" Kadaj said light-heartedly. "That's a Turk for you."

"I hear ya, boy. Now, tell me, what're ya doin' with yer shirt off?"

Reno buried his face in his hands. For the love of God, enough with the questions!

"It's hot in here." Kadaj answered nonchalantly. "Couldn't sleep."

"Hmm…" Cid slowly began to back out of the room. "Get some sleep, boy. Ya need it after today."

"Yes, Captain Highwind." The Remnant said cheerfully. "Goodnight."

"Nigh'." Cid said, shutting the door behind him.

Reno gave a loud sigh of relief, his heart dropped back into his chest. That was far too close for comfort.

Once Cid's heavy footsteps faded into the distance, Kadaj's head swung in upside-down at the side of the bed. He gave Reno a smile, "You can come out of there now."

The redhead crawled on his stomach out of the cramped underbelly of Kadaj's bed. With a grunt, he rose to his full height, and diligently began brushing the dust from his suit. "That was pretty sweet, yo. You're a great liar."

"When you're as experienced as I am, it comes easily." The youth smiled, rising onto his knees. He reached out and seized Reno's jacket in his hands, yanking the Turk back onto the bed and back on top of him. Mako eyes flashed playfully. "Now, where were we?"

Reno grinned wickedly, leaning in and pressing another hot kiss against Kadaj's lips. He couldn't get enough out of kissing Kadaj. He needed him like an addict needed his fix. Enough was never enough. It was as though his lips were laced with a drug that kept the Turk coming back and begging for more.

Suddenly, Kadaj pulled back, his face distorted painfully.

"Kadaj?" Reno breathed. "What's wrong?"

The youth winced. "My…my head. It hurts."

Worried, the Turk lifted himself off of Kadaj and moved next to him. He helped the Remnant up to a sitting position, his hands on his back for support. "Is it another seizure?" He asked, concern cut deep into his features.

Kadaj shook his head. "N-no…" He clutched his head tightly, groaning. "This…this happens s-sometimes after an attack. It's j-just an-" He cried out in pain and toppled over onto his side.

Reno gasped, seizing the young Remnant in his arms and pulling his trembling body close. "Kadaj! Oh my God…Kadaj…"

The silver-haired boy was groaning in agony, his eyes clenched tight, mouth hanging open in a silent scream, face twisted with pain. Reno felt his heart sink as he stared down at his suffering Kadaj, feeling completely powerless and helpless. He pulled the Remnant close to his chest.

"Kadaj…please…" He whispered desperately. "Do you want me to call someone?"

The youth shook his head. "N-no. No, it's fine. Just a h-headache. A side-effect of the s-seizures."

"Do you need anything?" Reno asked, brushing Kadaj's hair out of his eyes.

Kadaj clutched Reno's arm tightly and stared up into his eyes. "S-stay here. Stay with me. Don't go. P-Please…"

The Turk nodded. "Yes. Yes, of course."

Carefully, he lifted the Remnant's lithe body into his arms and gently laid him down. He made sure Kadaj's head was comfortably supported by one of his soft pillows, so as not to cause him anymore pain. He then kicked off his boots and removed his jacket before lying himself down next to the Remnant. Reno pulled the blanket over the both of them and snuggled close to Kadaj's warm trembling body.

Kadaj wanted him to stay. He couldn't say no to that. Even if the youth wasn't currently in pain, the redhead still would've willingly obliged if asked to spend the night. He didn't know how he'd be able to stroll downstairs in the morning when Cid was convinced he had already left, but that was not his top concern at the moment. All that mattered now was Kadaj.

Reno wrapped an arm around the young man, and whispered, "You alright?"

Kadaj nodded faintly, Mako eyes heavy with exhaustion and pain.

Pressing a tender kiss to the Remnant's brow, Reno drew Kadaj closer and held him until his trembling body eased in the comforting cocoon of sleep.

* * *

The first thing Kadaj noticed upon waking was the spicy scent of tobacco and scotch filling his nostrils. Not the usual greeting he received when stirring out of sleep every morning. The smell was close by, and warmed his body in a way that nothing else did. A familiar, hot, entrancing smell.

Slowly, Kadaj opened his eyes and was caught staring at what looked like someone's throat, just inches away from his face. He blinked and tried to pull back, but a strong arm lay wrapped around his body, holding him firm, but not rough.

The Remnant lifted his head slightly to look upon the face of his captor.

He smiled.

The very sight of Reno's handsome face caused the memories of last night to instantaneously flood back into Kadaj's mind. Every word, every touch, every kiss he remembered. The Turk was sound asleep now, his head lying just above Kadaj's, blue eyes shut, strands of crimson hair falling over his face with the sort of casual elegance few men could ever achieve.

He stayed.

Just as Kadaj had asked him. Reno stayed. Not an objection, hesitation, or second thought involved. That feeling…the one that snaked through Kadaj's body day-in and day-out, that insufferable urge to cling to Reno and never let go…

It was gone.

There was no need to hold tightly to the Turk. No reason to worry or dread if the redhead was to ever disappear. Because he wasn't. Reno wasn't going anywhere. He stayed. And all Kadaj had to do was ask.

For the first time in his life, Kadaj was cared for. Indeed his brothers loved him and shared a special bond with him that no one else could; yes, of course Tifa and Cloud had invited him into their home with no objections…but this was different.

This was a different kind of caring. This was a warm, tender, passionate kind of caring. Kadaj had never experienced it before, but upon his years, he had grown and observed others as they interacted with the one they cared for the most. Warm embraces, hours of kissing, sleepless nights spent talking, laughing, and simply holding each other close. Sometimes he'd read stories that detailed certain emotions or feelings about two characters that shared such a connection, but he never seemed to understand it. It was an odd thing to think about when one never really had someone to care about before.

But now, it was different. He had someone. Now he knew how it felt to cherish and need someone so badly that it hurt. He knew the feel of lips pressed against his, hands entwined within his hair, hot breath feathering against his skin. He now had someone who defied all that he was taught to believe. Someone that made him feel wanted and needed and thought about. Someone who finally managed to rival his Mother within his heart. And of all people it had to be, it was Reno.

Kadaj stirred, and was surprised to feel Reno's gentle fingers run along the skin on his bare back.

"Shh…Kaddy…shh…" The Turk whispered. "It's okay. I'm here…"

Kadaj stared at Reno for a moment. The redhead was clearly fast asleep, and still he managed to stay somewhat conscious of the youth's every movement. Kadaj guessed his little headache last night might have triggered that within the Turk's mind. And what was that he called him? Kaddy? Just one day after confessing his affections, the redhead already found a nickname for him? It was achingly adorable.

The silver-haired Remnant moved in closer and snuggled his face into the crook of Reno's neck. Wrapping his arms around the Turk, Kadaj inhaled deeply of his scent and slowly began to drift back into sleep.

All of a sudden, an ear-piercing melody sliced through the comfortable silence of the room. Reno jolted awake and sat up with a groan. Kadaj watched with a frown as the Turk reached into the back pocket of his pants and pulled out his cell phone. His movements were slow and struggled. He was clearly still half asleep.

"Hello?" Reno said in a groggy tone. "Tseng?…yeah, I was sleepin'…yes sir, you did wake me…no, sir I am not back talking…I'm just dead tired… no I was not out all night drinkin'…" The redhead groaned, raking his fingers back through his hair. "…what? Now? Sir, it ain't even five a.m yet…I…yes sir, I do enjoy my job. But, do we really need to raid the hideout at this hour? I…yes, sir I do want them caught…I…no, sir…y-yes…I…fine, sir…I'll meet you and Rude in ten minutes. You're welcome, sir. Bye."

Clicking the phone off, Reno gave a loud groan and slumped back into the pillow next to Kadaj. When he turned his head to look at the young Remnant, he gave a small smile.

"Hey…" Reno whispered. "Did I wake you?"

Kadaj shook his head. "Nah. I was already partially awake."

"How to you feel?" The Turk asked, leaning over him slightly.

The silver-haired youth shrugged. "Fine. Completely fine. Just exhausted."

Reno nodded, brushing a strand of silver hair from Kadaj's eyes. "It's not even five, yet. You still have plenty of time to sleep. God knows how much I'd kill for that right now. My nerves are practically shot."

Kadaj frowned. "Duty calls."

"Unfortunately, yo." Reno rubbed his tired eyes. "I do love my job, but sometimes it just annoys the shit outta me. I don't know how I'm going to perform a full raid of a thug hideout without making a mistake. Hell, I don't even know how I'm gonna get out of here without being detected by anyone in the house!"

The Remnant smirked. "Climb out the window."

Reno blinked. "You're not serious. I'm half asleep. I'll fall out."

"Well, it's either climb out, or stay here and risk getting your ass kicked by Cid, while at the same time losing your job."

The redhead sighed. "You never make life easy for me, you know that, yo?"

Kadaj grinned and stroked his hand down the side of the Turk's face. "Admit it. You love every second of it."

Reno's only response to that was to lean in and press a kiss against Kadaj's lips. The Remnant sighed wistfully against the kiss, hands coming up to entwine through soft red hair. The taste of cigarette smoke and alcohol lingering on Reno's tongue caused sudden warmth to engulf his entire being. They were both tastes Kadaj found disgusting on their own, but when infused onto the Turk's slick tongue, it was as like tasting sweet candy.

The redhead pulled back and rolled off the side of the bed and onto his feet. He then proceeded to stuff his arms into the sleeves of his jacket and slide back into his boots. Once fully dressed, Reno took the blankets and pulled them up around Kadaj's body.

"Go back to sleep, Kaddy." He breathed, kissing the Remnant softly. "I'll give you a call later. Alright?"

Kadaj sighed contently with a nod. "Mhmm…"

After one last tender kiss, Reno crossed the room and slid the bedroom window wide open. Cold, early morning wind whistled into the room, and Kadaj silently thanked the Turk for wrapping him in his blanket.

Reno swung his long, lean legs over the windowsill and gracefully climbed down onto the ledge below. Closing the window behind him, Reno gave Kadaj a quick smile, before finally disappearing out of sight.

Even as he drifted off to sleep, the smile never left Kadaj's lips.


	9. Sneaking Out

**C H A P T E R - N I N E **

"God dammit, Yuffie! How many times do I have to tell ya! Don't touch my teapot!"

"All I did was put it on the other counter, Cid!"

"I don't care! When I says 'don't touch', I sure as hell mean don't touch!"

Yazoo growled a bit under his breath, hair bristling with annoyance at the insistent arguing echoing through the kitchen. He could almost feel his eardrums reverberating from the screams coming from Captain Highwind. The man's voice could really travel across a room, especially one as small as the back kitchen of Seventh Heaven.

The long-haired Remnant hated being disrupted in the middle of cooking. In fact, he hated having anyone within a one-mile radius of him. He loved to bask in his silence and his peace while he worked. The culinary arts was such a delicate process…he couldn't have any interruptions!

But, as Cloud had insisted earlier, when Cid wanted access to the kitchen to make tea, you better damn well give him access to the kitchen to make tea. Yazoo never wanted to object to Big Brother's words, not after he had let him and his brothers take up residence in their home, but he couldn't stop himself from glaring over his shoulder at the atrociously loud captain.

"Would you be so kind as to lower it down a few octaves?" Yazoo frowned, sliding his newly finished apple pie into the oven. "I can barely hear myself think."

Cid grumbled something under his breath, and placed the kettle on top of the stove. "Sorry…" he mumbled, thick white puffs of smoke escaping his lips as he spoke. "I jus' don't like anyone touchin' my shit."

"It's not even your teapot!" Yuffie shouted from her spot seated on the edge of the counter. "It's Tifa's!"

"Shut up! That ain't the point!" The gruff captain spat.

Yazoo untied his apron and tossed it to the floor before storming out of the kitchen, holding back the urge to whip out Velvet Nightmare to shut everyone up. "I can't take this!"

Swinging the kitchen door open, Yazoo stepped out into the dimly lit bar where Kadaj, Cloud, and Vincent were all seated. Cloud and Vincent were at a table, exchanging quiet conversation, while Kadaj was hunched over the bar, eyes drawn down to an open novel, a huge pink bubble of gum sticking out of his mouth.

The youngest Remnant brother looked up at him, the pink bubble gum disappearing with a pop. Kadaj frowned, "what's your problem?"

Yazoo pointed his thumb back over his shoulder. "Noisy kitchen."

"Did someone touch the teapot?" Vincent suddenly asked, his demon hearing most likely picking up on the conversation from across the room.

Yazoo sat himself on a barstool. "Yuffie put it on the other counter."

"That explains it." Vincent smirked a bit. "Cid hates anyone going near his things, especially teapots."

"I should've just kicked them out."

"You know you can't do that, Yazoo." Cloud frowned, taking a small sip from a glass of clear bubbly liquid. "Remember what I said before, you need to learn to share the kitchen with others. Tifa already complains enough."

"But-"

"No buts, Yazoo." Cloud said sternly.

The long-haired Remnant sighed with defeat. "Yes, Big Brother."

Kadaj sniggered, flipping a page, snapping the sweet smelling gum in his mouth. He tilted his head up at his brother. "Uhh…you've got a little…" he pointed at his own cheek.

Yazoo wiped his cheek, looking at the white powder now covering the back of his leather glove. "Flour. I was baking a pie."

"Mmm." The Remnant leader smiled, bringing all his attention back to the book.

Yazoo tilted his head, watching his brother curiously. Kadaj had been acting odd lately. Well, odd for Kadaj, anyway. For the past couple of days or so, his little brother seemed…happy. Completely cheerful. And "Kadaj" and "cheerful" weren't two words you usually find in the same sentence. Yazoo just couldn't figure out the cause for this strange shift in behaviour.

Suddenly, there was a loud thundering of footsteps running down the wooden stairs. Yazoo turned his head and saw Denzel charge into the room, face red with anger. His eyes were set right to the back of Kadaj's head.

"Kadaj!" The young boy growled, stomping over to him. "Did you steal my last stick of gum?"

The Remnant leader didn't even look up from his book. He simply blew another big pink bubble, letting it pop before he answered stoically, "Nope."

"There! Right there! You just blew a bubble!" Denzel pointed an accusing finger at the older youth. "I saw it!"

Kadaj shook his head, flipping the page. "You're imagining things."

"No I'm not!" Denzel growled in annoyance. "You went into my room and stole the gum off my dresser. I want it back!"

The silver-haired youth smirked, swivelling the bar stool around to face the young boy. "You want it back?" He reached into his mouth and pulled out the chewed-up sticky wet wad of bright pink gum. He held it out. "Here."

"Ew! No!" Denzel cringed, stepping back. "You keep that one. But you owe me a new pack!"

As the young boy spun around and ran upstairs, Kadaj snorted and turned back to his book. "Yeah…I'll get right on that."

"You're a cruel, cruel man, Kadaj." Cloud frowned.

The Remnant leader smiled innocently, or as innocently as Kadaj was capable of. "And how exactly does that surprise you?"

"It doesn't." The blonde mercenary smirked, stirring the ice cubes in his glass. "I was simply stating a fact."

Yazoo smirked lightly at Cloud's remark, silently agreeing with him. Kadaj had always been a somewhat cruel person by nature. When angered, threatened, or simply annoyed, Kadaj made it his life's work to make sure whoever upset him would pay the slow and painful price. When he wanted something, the Remnant leader did everything and anything he could to get it, and he didn't care who he hurt in the process. It had always been that way, even when they were very young.

Yazoo remembered a time, back when he and his brothers were very young and growing up in the Shinra Laboratories. Loz had found a piece of candy on the floor that had most likely fallen out of the pocket of one of the scientists. Yazoo remembered seeing him run into their room, face beaming, holding the piece of candy high in the air with tremendous victory as though he had just found the head of Mother herself. Kadaj, being the envious one he was, leapt off his bed and demanded Loz give him the sugary sweet.

Like every child would, Loz clutched the precious sweet tightly in his fists and refused to surrender it. Before he could even blink, Loz was immediately tackled and pinned to the floor by his youngest brother. To this day, Yazoo couldn't figure out how Kadaj managed to hold his oldest brother down, especially with his tiny little frame.

The next sound Yazoo had heard was an awful snorting noise as Kadaj worked up a good wad of spit. He watched in horror from his bed as a glistening string of saliva slowly begin to drip from Kadaj's lips, dangling closer and closer to Loz's nose. Loz's eyes went as wide as dinner plates, and he begged for his little brother to stop. But Kadaj was relentless, and refused to give up until the candy was finally in his grasp. Well, Loz did eventually break under the pressure, and scrambled into a corner whimpering as he watched Kadaj unwrap the sweet and pop it into his mouth, grinning victoriously.

Yazoo was suddenly snapped out of his flashback when a loud familiar melody jarred his ears, making him jump. He watched as Kadaj reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone, putting it into his ear. Yazoo frowned deeply. Who in the name of Gaia could be calling his little brother when everyone who had his number was in the same building?

"Hello?" Kadaj said into the phone, leaning casually against the bar. He was silent a moment, and all of a sudden, a warm smile crossed his lips. Yazoo was stunned. "Oh…hey. I didn't think you'd call me. How are…what? You're where? Where the hell is that? …Uh huh…never heard of – what?" Kadaj raised an eyebrow. "Do what? …When? Are you kidding me? I can't just…uh huh…yes, but…alright, alright. I can try. But, don't get your hopes up. Okay…bye."

As soon as Kadaj clicked off the phone, Cloud immediately spoke up.

"Who was that?" He asked.

Kadaj stuffed the phone back into his leather pants. "No one."

"No one?" Yazoo crossed his arms disapprovingly. "Sure as hell didn't sound like 'no one'."

"Who did you give your number out to?" Cloud asked, rising from his seat to loom around his youngest brother.

"It was just a friend!" Kadaj said in defence.

"Since when do you have friends?" Cloud raised an eyebrow.

Kadaj's jaw dropped. He growled, Mako eyes flashing darkly. "What? You think I'm incapable of having friends?"

"I didn't say that." Cloud argued. "I'm just a little worried since you never leave Seventh Heaven unattended."

"Well quit worrying." Kadaj spat. "I can take care of myself." He tucked the book under his arm. "I'd love to stay here and continue being harassed with ridiculous and pointless questions, but I have better things to do."

"Such as?" Yazoo asked.

Kadaj didn't answer. He simply rolled his eyes, spun on his heel and marched up the stairs. Yazoo exchanged odd glances with Cloud and Vincent, all three of them silently agreeing on one thing: Kadaj was up to something.

He was about to follow Kadaj up the stairs for further questioning, when a sudden ear-piercing crash sounded out from the kitchen, followed by loud cursing.

Yazoo shouted. "I swear on my Mother, if that was my favourite platter, I'm going to shoot you both in the face!"

* * *

Nightfall couldn't have come any sooner.

Kadaj slowly and very carefully made his way down the dark staircase, measuring each of his steps perfectly. He used his Mako-equipped-night vision to help him better see each stair. The wood creaked under the weight of his boots, and he winced, teeth clenched. The house was dead silent, and any little noise could end up waking someone. He couldn't get caught.

Kadaj knew he was insane for agreeing to sneak out in the middle of the night. If anyone found out, Cloud would kill him, and Yazoo would end up holding him down while he lectured and nagged at him for risking his life by going out at night without an escort.

It was a risk, but it was worth it. He was sneaking out to meet Reno at a gun course. What Reno was doing at a gun course at such a God-forsaken hour, he didn't say, but he stated he wanted Kadaj to come and join him. Staying up all night firing at random targets gets lonely after a while, and he really wanted someone to talk to. Kadaj couldn't really say no to him. Anything was better than spending all night trapped inside Seventh Heaven.

Kadaj had no idea where this gun course was, so Reno had texted the co-ordinates to him. He was planning on taking his motorbike, not only because of the distance, but because it was snowing outside. Just a few light flurries, but he wasn't going to risk walking through it. He despised the cold.

Stepping into the dark bar, Kadaj wrapped his scarf tightly around his neck. He quickly made his way for the front door, wanting nothing more than to escape as fast as possible. His hand just touched the doorknob, when a light suddenly flickered on.

"And where do ya think yer goin', young man?"

Kadaj yelped, jumping back in surprise. His head spun around and he bit his lip when he met the familiar blue eyes of Cid Highwind. The gruff captain was seated at one of the tables, clad in pyjamas, with a cup of tea and a slice of apple pie in front of him. He raised an eyebrow at the youth.

"Oh…Cid…uhh…" Kadaj fumbled. "I was just…uh…well…"

Cid smirked amusingly, taking a sip from his tea. "Goin' ta see Reno?"

Kadaj blinked. "What? How did you-"

Cid lifted a hand to silence him. "Ya didn't think I didn't know Reno was under the bed that one night, did ya?"

The Remnant blushed wickedly. "I…I…I mean, we…we were just…"

Cid got up from the table, smiling. "No need ta explain, Kadaj. I ain't gonna judge ya on who ya love and don't love. I'm married to a Demon Master fer God's sake."

"What?" Kadaj gaped. "I don't love him!"

"Ya don't? Hmm…well he's clearly more than a friend." Cid smirked.

Kadaj fiddled with his scarf awkwardly. "Well, yeah, I guess he is. But, I don't love him…well, I think I don't. I do care about him a lot, and I enjoy being around him. But, I've never really loved anyone before. Not in a way that isn't family, at least."

The blonde gave a boyish one-sided smile, but said nothing else. Instead, he turned and disappeared into the kitchen. Kadaj bit his lip in worry, wondering if he should make a run for it before the captain came back. Just as he reached for the doorknob, Cid reappeared, carrying a plastic container. He held it out to Kadaj, who eyed it suspiciously.

"What is that?" He asked the captain.

Cid shoved the container into his arms. "Relax, ya paranoid little punk. It ain't gonna kill ya. It's only a couple o' pie slices. Still warm. I reckon you two are gonna get hungry."

Kadaj blinked up at him. "You're letting me go?"

"Course I am." Cid sat himself back at the table, taking another sip of tea. "You go and enjoy yerself. I ain't gonna utter a word to anyone. I know what it's like to be young and in love."

"I don't love him." Kadaj corrected sternly, opening the front door. A gust of icy wind and flurries whistled into the room, making him shiver.

"Sure ya don't. Now, get yer ass outta here before I change my mind." Cid smiled. "And shut that damn door! I can't feel my ass."

Kadaj gave him a nod of thanks and shut the door behind him, disappearing into the cold wintery night.


	10. Ready, Aim, Fire

**C H A P T E R - T E N**

Reno was waiting for him outside the gun range.

It hadn't taken Kadaj very long to drive to the small building at the other side of Midgar. Twenty minutes at most. The night was dark and the icy wind pierced his skin while he drove, freezing his hair that had been dampened by the falling snow. Kadaj shivered, wishing he had worn warmer clothes. His jumpsuit did help keep the wind from coming in contact with his flesh, but the skin tight leather was frozen and clung uncomfortably to his body. His scarf hardly did the trick either, for he couldn't even feel his face anymore.

How he hated the cold.

Kadaj skidded to a stop in front of the building, his tires sliding a bit against the wet snowy pavement. Reno was waiting outside the door, wrapped in a warm jacket, gloves and scarf. He looked positively cozy, and smiled as Kadaj hopped off the bike. The Remnant almost wanted to smack him for looking so damn warm. Almost.

Kadaj ran up the stairs, his limbs stiff and sore from driving the motorbike through the freezing wind. He was clutching the plastic container in one gloved hand, while his other hand held his scarf tightly around his numb face.

"Hey, babe." The redhead smirked, wrapping a warm arm around the youth's shoulders. "Cold enough for ya?"

"S-Shut up." Kadaj's teeth chattered. "I c-can't b-believe I let you c-convince me to come here! I hate the c-cold!"

Reno chuckled, warm lips coming down to softly kiss Kadaj's cold cheek. "Come inside, yo. It's much warmer."

The silver-haired youth nodded and quickly followed the Turk through the doors and inside the building. Kadaj felt his body thaw with the warmth of the room as he stepped inside, and he sighed contently. The Remnant followed Reno through a series of corridors, the fluorescent lights buzzing above them; their boot strikes echoing off the walls and high ceiling. Kadaj noticed the Shinra logo placed here and there on certain walls and doors, making him wonder if this building was used to train Turks in the proper use of firearms. It wouldn't be surprising.

"You get out okay?" Reno asked as they walked.

Kadaj nodded. "Snuck out while everyone was sleeping. Cid was up, but I know he won't say anything. He promised."

The redhead nodded. "I trust Cid, yo. Just as long as Chocobo-head is none-the-wiser, I'm fine with anything."

Turning into another room, Reno led Kadaj into the main area for shooting practice. There were about two dozen different stations set up, each one separated by a metal wall. At the front of each station, targets were set up. Every one of them a different shape, size, and distance from the station. Kadaj looked at his surroundings curiously, reminding himself to tell Yazoo about the course. His older brother would have a field day in here.

Kadaj watched as Reno removed his jacket, gloves and scarf and absent-mindedly discarded them to the floor beside what seemed to be the station he was working at. The redhead picked up two tall steaming cups from the small counter and handed one to Kadaj.

"Here, I got you a coffee." He smiled, taking a sip of his own.

Kadaj took the cup in his hand and basked in the heat against his fingers. "Thanks." He said, his voice slightly muffled by the scarf still wrapped around his face.

Reno smirked and reached out to pull Kadaj's scarf off his face, only to then lean in and press a warm tender kiss to his lips. The youth's eyes fluttered closed and he sighed against the kiss, silently cursing the fact he had no free hands to embrace the Turk.

Reno pulled back, blue eyes glinting in the fluorescent lighting. He eyed the box in Kadaj's hands. "What you got there, yo?"

The Remnant handed the box to him. "Yazoo made some apple pie today, and I brought some in case you were hungry. They may be a bit cold, though, from the ride over here."

The redhead's face brightened and he opened the box. "Oh, hell yes! You have no idea how hungry I am. I've been here all Goddamn day."

Kadaj tossed his scarf on the pile of Reno's clothes. "Why?"

"Mnm…" Reno tried to speak, but his mouth was too full of the pie he just bit a huge chunk out of. He chewed quickly and swallowed before answering. "Remember that call I got when I slept over that night? About the mission?"

Kadaj leaned against the wall, sipping his coffee. "Yeah."

Reno wiped crumbs from his mouth. "Well, turns out I was a hell of a lot more exhausted than I thought. We were performing a raid of the thug hideout, and I accidentally shot Tseng in the foot."

Kadaj spluttered, nearly choking on his coffee. "You did what?"

"Yep. I shot him in the foot." The Turk shrugged. "I could barely keep my head on straight that morning; I had no idea where I was firing. Tseng's fine, though. But, he's royally pissed and, of course, his hard ass couldn't resist punishing me." He motioned to the course. "He told me to spend the entirety of my next three days off here at the gun course 'improving my aim'."

The silver-haired Remnant shook his head. "That's just sad. You want me to beat him up for you?"

"Nah, I think I can handle him on my own." Reno laughed, picking up a pistol. "I like shooting. It helps me think."

Kadaj watched as Reno took position at his station and aimed at one of the targets. The Remnant smiled, noting how good the redhead looked with a gun. He was the picture of stillness, of smoothness; he was one with the weapon. His penetrating blue eyes bore the look of pure concentration and determination. He shot the gun, and the bullet flew across the room, hitting the target perfectly.

"Impressive." Kadaj said.

The Turk nodded. "Thanks, yo. I told Tseng I was a fine shooter, but the stubborn bastard insisted on me doing the course. I didn't mean to shoot him in the foot. I was just tired."

The Remnant leader shook his head. "You're a damn good shot. Better than I could do."

"That's bull." The redhead smirked. "Have you ever shot before?"

Kadaj shook his head. "Never wanted to, really. I like hand-to-hand combat. I like looking the enemy in the eye. Thus why I'm a swordsman. Besides, even if I did want to shoot, Yazoo would never let me go near his gun. He loves that thing."

Reno took his hand, and pulled him into the station. "Then, I'll teach you. It's always good for someone to know how to handle a firearm." He placed the gun in Kadaj's hands. "Here. Take a few shots."

Kadaj nodded and took the rifle in his leather-clad hands. He positioned himself, took aim, and fired. His hand flew back with the force of the shot, nearly making him jump. It hit the target, but far from perfectly. Kadaj shot a few more times, getting used to the feel of the weapon. With every pull of the trigger, it was as though a thunderclap went off in his hand. His heart was racing. There was such power, such fierceness within the gun. It was no wonder Yazoo favoured his beloved Velvet Nightmare so much. What a rush!

Reno watched him for some time, quietly sipping his coffee. After Kadaj shot a few more times, the Turk came and stood behind him. His arm came around the Remnant's waist, moving him around slightly.

"Here, babe. Do it like this. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart. Blade your body and lean forward a bit so you can be properly balanced. Don't completely straighten your arm, so you don't hurt yourself with the blowback of the shot. There. Ain't that better?"

Kadaj smirked, leaning back against the Turk's warm body. "Mnm…it is with your arms around me." He teased.

Reno purred, kissing Kadaj's ear. "Pay attention, you."

Kadaj smiled, took aim, and shot. He noticed his improvement instantly, and fired a few more times. He reloaded the gun, and aimed again, mind set into full concentration. Suddenly, Reno came up and tickled his stomach. Kadaj doubled over laughing, trying to get the Turk's fingers off him.

"Stop it!" He laughed breathlessly, trying to twist away from the redhead. "Stop it, Reno! I can't shoot if you're doing that!"

Reno crossed his arms. "You're gonna have to, yo."

Kadaj frowned up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Besides being able to hit what you want, you'll have to be able to shoot no matter what's happening." He explained. "If you can't shoot when you're laughing, how can you shoot when you're afraid? Just you and the target, that's all there is. That's what I was taught when I started training to be a Turk. We needed to learn how to block everything else out. To be able to make the shot under pressure. I want to teach you that, Kaddy."

Kadaj sighed. "Alright. I'll try."

The Remnant took position again and aimed the gun once more. Reno tickled him again. Kadaj bit his lip, but remained still. Instead, he fired the gun and, to his astonishment, hit the target dead center.

The youth beamed proudly, looking back at the Turk. "That was amazing."

Reno smiled. "I knew you'd be able to do it."

Full of adrenaline, Kadaj shot a few more times. He shot and reloaded and shot some more. He shot until he was positive he couldn't shoot anymore, even if his life depended on it. So, Reno took over and shot a few targets for some time, never missing the bull's-eye. As Kadaj watched him, it occurred to him that he hadn't tried to distract the Turk while he shot.

Kadaj stepped close behind him. "Time to see if you're really as good as you think you are."

When Reno aimed his gun again, Kadaj tickled his ribs. He didn't flinch; he shot the same as before. But he laughed and squirmed as soon as the bullet struck the target. The Remnant kept trying as Reno shot, but he wasn't able to distract him. Kadaj became more determined. If tickling didn't work, he would just have to try something else.

Kadaj pressed up against the Turk's back as he concentrated on aiming, and smoothly unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. Removing his leather gloves, the youth slipped his hand inside and ran it over his chest. His skin was taut and warm over toned muscles.

The Remnant unbuttoned more buttons to better extend his reach. He ran the fingers of one hand through the back of fiery red hair, as the other roamed across the Turk's stomach. Reno kept shooting.

Kadaj started to forget about distracting him as he kissed the back of Reno's neck. The redhead giggled and hunched his shoulders after the bullet hit the target. He reloaded and aimed again. At last, Kadaj had all the buttons undone and was feeling the front of Reno's torso, all the way down to his belt. He ran both hands over the Turk's body, one high, one low. It didn't keep him from hitting the target. Kadaj couldn't break his concentration. His breathing quickened.

The silver-haired teen decided he was going to win this game. He smiled wickedly and pressed harder against him, swift hands unbuckling Reno's belt in one swift motion. The Turk kept shooting. Kadaj unbuttoned the trousers quickly, and slid one hand inside, caressing the warm sensitive flesh.

"Kadaj!" Reno gasped. "K-Kadaj…that's not fair!" He still had the gun drawn, but his aim was starting to wander. He worked hard to steady it.

Kadaj licked his earlobe, rubbing him softly. "Mnm…but, you said you have to be able to shoot no matter what's happening."

"Kadaj…" Reno's voice was high and strained, trying desperately not to buck into the youth's touch. "That isn't fair…that's cheating!"

"No matter what. Those were your exact words. You have to be able to make a shot under pressure." Kadaj kissed his neck, purring. "Is this pressure enough, Reno? Can you do it? Can you make the shot?"

"K-Kaddy…" The redhead panted. "You're cheating…"

The Remnant gave a throaty laugh and squeezed him gently. Reno gasped and fired the gun. By the sound it made, Kadaj guessed the bullet must've hit the back wall somewhere.

"I think you missed." He breathed into Reno's ear.

The Turk twisted around in his arms, dropping the gun. His face was red as he enclosed Kadaj in his arms.

"Not fair." Reno kissed his ear, his breath hot. "You cheat." The touch of Reno's mouth to his ear made the Remnant gasp.

Kadaj held on tight as Reno brushed his hair away and put his warm mouth to his pale neck. It made the youth shiver and groan. Kadaj hunched his shoulders against the Turk's face and half-moaned, half-laughed as the world tilted and he found himself of the floor under Reno. They were both lying on the pile of discarded winter clothes, which made it much easier on the youth as Reno was practically lying on top of him. Kadaj bit his lip, fingers entwining through red hair as Reno's hot mouth continued to suck his neck, teeth grazing the spot where his pulse raced.

Positive there'd be a delightful bruise there by morning, Reno pulled his mouth off of Kadaj's neck and stared down into his eyes. Kadaj smiled softly, fingers coming up to graze the Turk's jaw. He gazed deeply into those glimmering blue pools, remembering Cid's words. Did he love Reno? And if he did, how was he supposed to know? What did love feel like? He'd never loved anyone before. He didn't know how to. What if Reno didn't love him back?

"Kaddy?" Came Reno's voice.

The Remnant snapped back and looked back up at the beautiful redhead above him. Concern was etched deeply into his features, and he stroked the youth's cheek.

"You okay, baby?" Reno asked softly.

Kadaj nodded, a soft smile on his lips. "Yeah…" He reached up and took the back of the redhead's neck, pulling his lips down against his in a tender kiss. Reno moaned a bit, kissing him back, his hands running through silver locks. Kadaj caught his bottom lip between his, sucking it back gently. Reno groaned, pressing his bare chest against Kadaj's. Hot skin against cool leather.

_Kadaj…_

"Mnm…what?" Kadaj said against the hot kiss, his hands running over Reno's body.

Reno pulled back, panting breathlessly. "Huh?"

"You just said my name, didn't you?" Kadaj asked him.

The Turk shook his head. "No. How could I when I was kissing you? Did you hear someone?"

Kadaj looked around the room in bewilderment, but he knew they were the only one's in the whole building. He frowned. "Hmm…thought I did. Probably just my imagination."

Reno nodded and kissed him again, hands quickly unzipping Kadaj's leather jumpsuit.

_Kadaj…_

The Remnant pulled back, sitting up quickly. "There! I heard it again! Someone just said my name!"

Reno frowned deeply. "I didn't hear anything, Kaddy."

"But, I'm telling you, Reno. I heard someone say my name. Twice!"

_My little Remnant…_

Kadaj leaped to his feet, drawing his Souba. The sound of the twin blades unsheathing rang out through the building. He growled. "Show yourself!"

Reno got up and seized Kadaj's arms, spinning him around to stare into his eyes. "Kadaj! There is no one here!"

"I heard it!" Kadaj said desperately. "How did you not hear that? Someone said my name twice, and then they called me a little Remnant. I heard it, clear as day!" He frowned at the Turk's expression. "I'm not insane, Reno. I heard it. Loud and clear. It was as if…" He trailed off.

"Kadaj?" Reno asked, staring at him. "Babe, you okay?"

The Remnant didn't answer. His limbs were starting to tremble, his breathing became sharp and painful. The room began to spin.

"R-Reno…" He clutched the Turk's shirt in his fist, shaking.

Reno held him tightly, eyes widening. "Kaddy? Baby, what's wrong? What's happening?"

Before Kadaj could sum up the right words, a surge of electrical pain shot through his body, making him cry out in agony. His legs gave out and he collapsed, but Reno caught him and held his trembling form close.

"Oh God…" The redhead breathed. "Oh God, Kadaj…it's happening again, isn't it? The seizures?"

Kadaj clenched his teeth, nodding. His body convulsed and thrashed violently in Reno's arms, molten hot pain running through his veins, burning his insides. He screamed loudly, clutching onto Reno. The pain was excruciating. It felt as though his brain was melting inside his skull. The Turk held him close, and Kadaj felt hot tears hit his face.

"It's okay, baby…" Reno whispered, sniffing back tears. "It's alright. I'm here. I got you."

The world was starting to turn black. Kadaj whimpered desperately, not wanting to surrender to that dark void again. He didn't want to leave Reno. Couldn't leave him. Not like this. He was so tired…

_Kadaj…_

Kadaj screamed in agony, body jerking violently, before he crumpled up and finally passed out in Reno's arms, the last sound he heard being loud malevolent laughter.


	11. No Other Choice

**C H A P T E R - E L E V E N**

His office was dark and deathly quiet, the vast empty corners creeping with the kinds of shadows that would leave a small child trembling under his sheets. It was very late, and the usual sounds of footsteps and voices that echoed through the corridors outside his office were now replaced by a silence so still, he could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

He didn't mind, though. It wasn't everyday he basked in such a serene, peaceful moment. He had no choice but to take full advantage of it.

Rufus ShinRa leaned back in his chair, swirling the glass of smooth red wine in his hand. He sighed in contentment, closing his eyes and allowing the pale moonlight shining in through the windows to kiss his face. It wasn't a common thing for him to stay in his office at such a God-forsaken hour. By this time, the blonde would usually be at home, curled up in bed with a good book.

He really couldn't figure out why he decided to stay. All the reports and papers on his desk had been dealt with accordingly. There were no missions for him to be aware of. There was no reason for him to still be there.

Perhaps it was because he was not in the mood to tread through knee-deep snow to get home. Or maybe it was because he simply loved being at work. This place, the ShinRa Electric Power Company, it was his love to cherish and his burden to carry. It thrilled him and exhausted him all at the same time. It was his empire and his prison. He wouldn't trade it for the world.

Rufus sipped his wine thoughtfully, lounging back in his chair. Suddenly, a knock on the door jolted his senses, thrusting him back into reality.

"Come in." He groaned, rubbing his eyes.

The massive office doors slowly creaked open, and a tall dark shadow stepped into the room. It approached the desk quietly, and Rufus slid his hand inside his jacket to feel for his gun, just in case. Curse this darkness! He couldn't see who it was!

When the pale winter moonlight illuminated the shadow's face, Rufus was relieved and pleased to see it was only Reeve Tuesti, the man in charge of Urban Development in the company. He smiled softly at Rufus from beneath a thin distinguished moustache. He was an older man, with rugged handsome features and a tall strong body adorned in a long blue robe. His shoulder-length wavy black hair shimmered in the moonlight, and his soft chocolate eyes stared deeply into Rufus's. The blonde had to admit, he was attracted to the man. He always had been. And he knew Reeve shared the same feelings. It was pretty obvious. But Reeve was so shy and soft-spoken, and he always tried to avoid getting too close to his President. He seemed afraid of what Rufus would do. How he would react. The blonde smiled. He wasn't _that_ intimidating, was he?

"Sorry, sir. Am I interrupting anything?" Reeve asked, his voice deep and soothing. He was holding a few folders under his arm.

Rufus smiled, sipping his wine. "Not at all, Reeve. I was just having a glass of wine before bed. Care to join me?" He held out a second empty glass.

Reeve blushed a bit, shaking his head. "No, thank you, sir. I'm not much of a drinker."

Rufus nodded, putting the glass away. "What are you doing here so late, anyways? Shouldn't you be at home making sure Cait doesn't end up trashing the house?"

The older man chuckled, stroking the scruff on his chin. "Hmm…perhaps you're right, sir. I just came here to drop off these." He placed the folders on the desk. "They're just a few reports I decided to finish up tonight. Considering the company rules, I am in need of your signature after you have read over them. But, really, they are nothing to be concerned with."

Rufus nodded, taking the folders and placing them to the side. "That's good to know, Reeve. Since the Turks finally managed to capture and arrest all those damned thugs terrorizing Midgar, I've finally managed to get some decent sleep. There hasn't been one issue reported."

Reeve smiled. "Perhaps this is the dawning of a new and more peaceful era in the Shinra Empire?"

"One can only hope, my good man." Rufus smirked, raising the glass before downing the rest of the wine in one gulp.

Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps echoed through the halls, growing louder and louder as they approached. Rufus stood up quickly, pulling his gun out from the inside of his white jacket. Reeve backed away from the door, unarmed and worried. The blonde President stepped away from his massive oak desk and stood at the ready, blue eyes watching the door.

"Who in the world?" Reeve breathed, standing behind him.

Before Rufus could muster up a response, the office doors burst open and Reno came flying in, covered in snow, a limp body clutched in his arms. Reeve, who had ducked for cover behind Rufus's shoulder, peeked out when he heard no gunshot.

"Reno?" The President frowned. "What are you-"

The redhead came rushing over, panting hard, blue eyes filled with fear. "P-Please, sir. I need your help. Something's wrong with him."

The blonde looked down at the limp body in the young Turk's arms, and only then realized it was Kadaj, the leader of Sephiroth's Remnants. He was unconscious, damp silver locks stuck to his face. His skin looked paler than usual, and glistened with sweat in the moonlight shining in through the windows. He looked sick.

"What happened, Reno?" Reeve asked, stepping close to look at Kadaj.

Reno shook his head, still breathless from running. "We…we were at the gun range tonight, and he suffered some kind of seizure. But it wasn't some kinda spur-of-the-moment type thing, sir. It's happened to him many times before. There's something wrong with him, yo. I…I didn't know where else to go to. ShinRa has the best scientists and doctors in Midgar."

The blonde nodded, reaching over and touching the young Remnant's forehead, examining him carefully. "His breathing is uneven, and his skin is cold and clammy. He seems to be shaking a fair bit as well."

Reno nodded, the expression on his face seemed almost desperate. His hands were trembling as he held Kadaj close to his chest. "Please, sir. Can you help him? I don't want him to die. He's…my friend."

Rufus stared into those twin powder-blue eyes he knew so well, and, to his surprise, instantly knew it was far more than that. It wasn't a common thing to see Reno in such a state about another person. He had always been the troublesome young man hooked on alcohol and wild nights of one-night-stands. The blonde had his fair share of late evenings with the redhead, but it grew to nothing more than that. Reno was a free-spirit. He hated the thought of being tied-down. To be committed to anything. It was strange, seeing him now; clutching onto the silver-haired youth for dear life, eyes swimming with fear and anxiety. He cared for the boy. More than Rufus had ever seen him care for…anyone. It was, dare he say it, love.

He touched the redhead's shoulder, looking him right in the eye. "Come on, Reno. Let's take him downstairs. There are still a few doctors on staff. They'll take care of Kadaj."

The Turk nodded. "Thank you, sir. Thank you."

* * *

"_Hmph. And I thought you were stronger than this, my little puppet."_

Kadaj lay crumpled in a heap on the ground, drenched in his own blood, moaning and whimpering in agony. Darkness surrounded him, shrouding him in a cloak of fear, pain, and loneliness. He struggled to move, but his limbs screamed with pain. His bones were shattered, his skin torn. His voice choked through sobs as he looked up through blood-soaked bangs to meet twin pairs of familiar Mako eyes.

"W-Why…why are you…hurting m-me…Sephiroth?" He breathed.

"_Because you are a failure."_ The older man spat viciously. _"You couldn't even carry on with the Reunion. That one simple task, but you were too weak and too cocky to accomplish a damn thing. You failed. It's no wonder Mother despises you so."_

The youth growled, teeth clenching. "S-Shut up."

"_Excuse me?"_ Sephiroth hissed, kneeling beside his mangled body. He seized Kadaj's chin and yanked his head up to look him in the eye. _"Say that again, you pathetic child. I dare you."_

Kadaj stared up at that face. The face that was so similar to his own. He frowned, trying to keep his voice strong. "Shut…up."

Sephiroth snarled and slammed Kadaj's face into the hard ground, breaking his nose instantly. The young Remnant screeched in pain, face soaked in blood and tears. He could feel Sephiroth's strong gloved hand pressing against the back of his head, driving his broken face harder into the ground, making the youth scream, his voice clogged with blood.

"_You dare speak to me like that, you worthless little clone?"_ Sephiroth growled. _"I will make you regret those words!"_

At that point, the hand was removed, and Sephiroth walked away, disappearing into the curtain of darkness. Kadaj whimpered, lifting his head the slightest bit. Pain shot through his body at that slight movement, making him groan and collapse to the ground once more. He could hardly get his breath out, his nose was crushed and his throat and mouth were filled with blood. He coughed, spitting out as much as he could.

Footsteps alerted him, followed by what sounded like muffled screams. Kadaj looked up and was horrified to see Sephiroth had returned, a struggling Reno clutched in his grasp.

"Reno…" Kadaj breathed. "No. Let him go!"

Sephiroth sneered, his arm wrapped tightly around the redhead's neck. _"I don't think so."_

He squeezed, making Reno choke and cough. "K-Kaddy…"

"Leave him alone, Sephiroth!" Kadaj pleaded, tears in his eyes. "He didn't do anything. Your fight is with me!"

"_Oh, and what better way to make you suffer than to watch your precious Turk suffer?" _Sephiroth laughed darkly. _"I won't kill him right away, though. No, I think it would be much more satisfying if I make you watch him become my pet."_

"No! No, please, no!" Kadaj begged desperately. "Leave him alone!"

Sephiroth threw his head back with a cackle, taking his long gleaming Katana sword and driving it through Kadaj's gut, impaling him to the ground.

Kadaj's eyes shot open, sitting up quickly with a scream.

He was instantly blinded by a bright light, and a pair of strong arms suddenly seized him, wrapping him in warmth. Kadaj whimpered and shook, leaning into the strange person's chest, inhaling the rich familiar scent of Scotch and explosives. His heart almost stopped.

"Shh…shh…Kaddy. It's alright. I'm here. I got you, baby."

Kadaj trembled, clutching onto Reno desperately. It was a nightmare. Only a nightmare. But, dear God, it felt so real. Even now, he could still hear Sephiroth's laughter echoing through his mind, making him cling onto the Turk harder. He could feel Reno's hand softly stroking his hair, easing him slightly.

"Kadaj?" Reno whispered. "You alright, yo?"

Kadaj nodded against Reno's chest. "Y-Yeah…I think so. Just a…bad dream." He shivered, looking down at himself. "Why is my shirt off?"

There was an uncomfortable silence coming from the Turk. Kadaj looked up into his eyes, squinting at the blinding light.

"Where are we, Reno?" The Remnant asked, rubbing his eyes.

The redhead stared at him for some time, hands clutching his almost in fright. Kadaj could feel his heart race, and his Mako-enhanced senses picked up on his surroundings. Every smell and sound seemed… familiar. Too familiar. He felt his heart almost sink as he stared up into those glinting blue eyes.

"Reno? Where are we?" He asked again, hands clutching onto the Turk's black jacket.

The redhead's eyes did not look away from his as he answered, his voice low and shaky. "The ShinRa Labs."

Kadaj leaped back with a horrified gasp, almost falling off the bed he was on, eyes wide. "What!"

Reno stepped towards him. "Kadaj, take it easy."

"No, I will not take it easy!" Kadaj screamed with rage, staring around the bright room.

He couldn't believe it. He was back. After years and years of vowing never to return to this vicious and sick death trap, Kadaj was back in the Labs at ShinRa. He and his brothers were created and raised here, enduring long days of brutal experimentations and mindless torture. They were treated like animals in a zoo, sitting behind glass as dozens of pairs of big eyes gawked. They were poked and prodded at as if they couldn't feel it, as if the doctors and scientists couldn't see the tears in their eyes, or hear the pleading at the screaming from their lips. They were built up and torn down day in and day out. It was constant torture. Constant pain and humiliation.

When they finally escaped the Labs after months and months of secret planning, Kadaj had promised his brothers that they would never ever return to this place. Their pain and insecurities were finally at an end. They would no longer have to suffer.

But now, barely two years later, he was back. He was once again trapped in this cold windowless room, blinded by bright lights and stared at like some piece of meat by hungry cruel eyes. Kadaj shut his eyes and covered his face with his hands, hoping and praying that he was still trapped in his nightmare.

When he felt Reno's hand gently touch his shoulder, the young Remnant leaped back with a hiss.

The redhead stared at him, looking shocked and hurt. "Kaddy…"

"Why did you bring me here?" Kadaj demanded, his voice echoing off the walls. "You know how much I hate this place!"

"I know, babe, I know." Reno's voice was gentle and comforting, like a mother trying to ease a child through a thunderstorm. "But, I was scared. You had another seizure and I didn't know what else to do."

"You could've brought me home!" Kadaj spat, angry tears burning his eyes.

"Then what would have happened?" Reno threw his arms in the air. "You'd be knocked out for a few hours, and then you'd be fine again, only to suffer another attack tomorrow? That isn't what I want to happen to you, Kadaj. I don't want to see you in pain anymore."

"And you think bringing me to this Gaia-forsaken place is helping me?" The youth growled. "You couldn't just take me to any other doctor in this stupid city?"

"ShinRa has the best doctors and scientists in all of Midgar." The redhead tried to explain. "Whatever is happening to you is serious, Kaddy, and I knew that no one would be able to help you except them."

"I'm fine!" Kadaj screamed furiously, his voice cracking with tears. "How many times do I have to tell you? Nothing is wrong with me! Don't you ever listen? I don't need anyone's help. I can take care of myself, God dammit!"

Reno stood silent for a while, staring at him with an expression that looked like he might break down at any moment. His hands were trembling, his eyes swam with pain and deep concern. Slowly, Reno took a small step towards the silver-haired teen, his voice shaky. "I didn't want to lose you, Kadaj."

"I'd rather be dead than back here." Kadaj said coldly, his voice laced with venom. "I can't believe you'd do this to me."

"Kadaj!" Reno pleaded. "Please, babe, just-"

The Remnant turned his back, sitting himself on the cold floor of the room and wrapping his arms around himself, feeling bitter and alone. "Leave me alone."

Empty bitter silence followed those last few hurtful words, but Kadaj refused to turn around and look at the redhead. He was furious, scared, and hurt beyond belief. He knew all Reno wanted to do was help him, but the thought of being back in this hell hole was still burning into his mind like acid teardrops. Kadaj needed to be alone. He needed time to calm down. If he kept arguing with Reno, he knew he'd do something he'd regret. He didn't want to hurt him.

Just a minute or so later, Kadaj heard the doors to the room open and a jumble of footsteps approach. He bristled, clenching his fists to control his rage.

"Hello, Kadaj." Came the familiar voice of President Rufus ShinRa.

The youth turned his head and looked at the tall blonde President, clad in his usual crisp white suit. Two men stood on either side of him. One of them Kadaj recognized as being Tseng, the head of the Turks. He and his brothers had gotten to know Tseng very well when they had kidnapped him and another female Turk named Elena and brought them to the Forgotten City to torture the whereabouts of Mother out of them. The other male at Rufus's side was an older man with dark eyes and distinguished facial hair, clad in a long blue robe. Kadaj had no clue who he was.

"Hmph." Kadaj snorted, turning his back again.

The President chuckled. "Still as charming as usual, I see. How are you feeling? I heard a lot of yelling in here."

When Kadaj refused to speak, Reno answered for him.

"He really doesn't want to be here, sir." The redhead said softly. "Maybe I should just take him home."

"I'm afraid you can't do that just yet, Reno." Rufus responded.

Kadaj quickly spun around to face them, standing up. "What?"

The blonde took a cautious step back and nodded. "While you were unconscious, I had my scientists perform a series of tests on you. Blood tests, physical exams, and what not. That's why your shirt is off. You need to remain here until the test results are complete. Then we can see where to go from there."

"And if I'm alright?" Kadaj asked.

The President stuffed his hands into his pockets. "You'll be free to go."

Kadaj glared. "And if you find something wrong?"

Rufus stared at him for a minute without a word, making Kadaj wish he could walk over and hit him. The blonde sighed. "We'll worry about that later."

The young Remnant growled softly, green Mako eyes slowly looking over at Reno. The redhead was staring at the floor, refusing to meet his gaze, making Kadaj even angrier than before.

Stupid Turk.


	12. Shattered World

**C H A P T E R - T W E L V E **

"What the hell is taking so long, yo?"

Reno paced back and forth in the hallway outside the room where Kadaj was being held, hands wrung nervously, heart pounding erratically like an African drum. He preferred not to wait out the news of the test results inside the room with the young Remnant. He was pissed off enough as it was, and Reno knew it was all his fault. He knew from the moment he met the youth how much he despised anything and everything having to do with the ShinRa Labs.

He just wished Kadaj knew he only did it for his own good. He never wanted to hurt him. He was just…scared. He panicked. He didn't think.

Dear Gaia, the way Kadaj looked at him. Reno hadn't seen a look like that since the night he called the young Remnant "second favourite". But…Kadaj couldn't really hate him, could he? Not after all they'd been through. Reno sighed, covering his eyes with his hands. The youth just needed time to breathe. To think things through. He needed to calm down.

Reno couldn't lose him…

"Calm yourself, Reno." Tseng muttered, leaning against the wall. "The results will be ready soon. No need to panic."

The redhead groaned, shoving his hands inside his pockets. "I know, I know. It's just…it's nerve-wracking, ya know? Not knowing what's wrong with him. He's real sick, yo."

Tseng snorted, but said nothing else. It was pretty obvious he didn't care about what was happening to Kadaj. He hated the young Remnant. After what Kadaj and his brothers put him and Elena through to get information about Jenova's head, Tseng had grown bitter. He hardly ever smiled anymore, not that he did it much before, but now he even made Vincent Valentine look like a bottle of sunshine. Reno had tried many times to make the head-Turk crack a smile. Jokes, pranks, hell…he'd even completed all his assignments on time without a complaint, which was a pretty big deal. Still, all Tseng did was mumble his thanks and continue on with his brooding.

Reno sighed and reached into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. He took one and placed it between his lips, needing to nicotine to steady his nerves. Just as he reached in to grab his lighter, the Turk suddenly found himself shoved roughly against the wall, the barrel of a gun pointed right between his eyes.

"What the hell?!" He gasped.

The redhead stared into two sets of familiar green Mako eyes, both of them blazing with the kind of anger that would even make Sephiroth himself cringe. Strong hands held him hard against the wall, and his feet were practically dangling off the floor.

"Loz. Yazoo. Put the idiot down." Came Cloud's voice from out of nowhere.

Yazoo glared, pressing his Velvet Nightmare harder against Reno's forehead. His voice was gentle and soft, as usual, but it was pricked with venom. "But he brought our baby brother back to this hellhole."

"We should just kill him." Loz snarled, pushing the redhead harder against the wall.

Reno's eyes widened when he heard Yazoo cock his gun. "W-Wait a sec, yo! You don't get it!"

"Boys, put him down. Now." Cloud's voice was firm and clearly angry.

Loz grumbled and released his hold on Reno, making the Turk stumble to the floor with a grunt. Yazoo stepped back, put still kept his pistol drawn.

Reno staggered to his feet. "What the hell is this all about?"

"Rufus called us." Cloud frowned. "He said you brought Kadaj here."

"Yeah…" Reno looked nervously between Cloud and the two silver-haired brothers. "I had no choice. He had another seizure."

"Why was Kadaj even with you?" Yazoo asked. "It's the middle of the night."

Reno put his hands into the pockets if his pants, swaying nervously. "We were just hanging out."

"In the middle of the night?" Cloud scowled.

"We didn't do anything!" The redhead raised his hands in the air defensively. "Honest! Nothing happened, Cloud."

The blonde ex-SOLDIER crossed his muscled arms, steel blue eyes scanning his as though reading his every thought. Cloud was obviously upset. He, just like his younger silver-haired brothers, despised ShinRa. But Reno knew he couldn't tell Cloud or the two Remnants the truth. He couldn't tell them about how he felt about their little brother. How he loved to hold him, and kiss him, and touch his soft skin. How the boy made his heart race with every laugh, every word, every breath that escaped those luscious lips…

No. No, he couldn't. What would they say? What would they think? Oh God…what would they do? They were so protective of Kadaj. To have him being handled by a Turk…dear Gaia, they would ring Reno's neck!

Approaching footsteps alerted the group, and everyone turned to see Rufus and Reeve returning with a few files in their hands.

Rufus smiled. "Ah, good…the whole family is here."

"Where is our brother?" Yazoo demanded, his gun still gripped in his leather-clad hand.

"He's fine. We have him in that room right over there." The blonde President held up the files. "And we have the test results."

Reno jumped to attention. "What do they say?"

"Perhaps it would be better if we had Kadaj hear this as well." Rufus's tone did not sound pleasant. Reno could feel his heart inside his throat.

Tseng opened the door and let everyone back into Kadaj's room. The young Remnant was seated on the floor, knees curled to his chest, back pressed against the wall. He didn't even raise his head to look at them.

"Brother!" Yazoo cried.

Both Remnants rushed over to Kadaj's side, falling to the floor and embracing him tightly as though they hadn't seen him in years. Kadaj seemed more surprised than anything to have them suddenly show up, but that quickly changed when he wrapped them both in his arms.

Yazoo pulled back, brushing Kadaj's silver bangs out of his eyes. "Are you alright, brother? Did they hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine." Kadaj said softly.

Reno stood silently next to Cloud, watching the three young Remnants. They truly were terrified of this place. The redhead had never seen Kadaj in such a state before. Sitting in a corner, curled up in a tight little ball, clinging onto his brothers for dear life. His pride, courage, and dignity were stripped away to reveal what truly lied beneath…a broken child. Reno could feel his eyes burn with tears. What had he done?

Rufus stepped forward. "We have the test results, Kadaj."

Three sets of bright, unblinking Mako eyes looked up.

"Read them." Kadaj said firmly, still holding his brothers.

Rufus didn't argue with the boy, and opened the folder with a nod. He skimmed down the papers, reading what the tests had found. It seemed as though the entire atmosphere of the room changed, just from the expression that crossed the President's young face. Reno's heart started to race.

"Well?" Cloud asked.

Rufus looked up at the youth. "Kadaj, before you died, you absorbed Jenova cells into your body, did you not?"

Kadaj didn't hesitate to nod.

"I see…" Rufus muttered softly, his eyes returning to the charts.

Reno blinked. "What does that have to do with anything, sir?"

"Well, it says here, that there is a substantial amount of Jenova cells still present in Kadaj's bloodstream." Rufus stated, reading the papers. "And they're multiplying at a staggering rate. It's like nothing my scientists have ever seen before."

Loz frowned. "Is that what's been causing the seizures?"

"Looks to be that way." Rufus said softly, eyes still transfixed on the reports. "Kadaj, what happened when you absorbed your mother's cells?"

Kadaj was silent for a moment before answering. "I…became Sephiroth."

"And lately, have you found yourself to have an unusual connection to him?" Rufus asked. "Whether mentally, physically, or emotionally?"

Kadaj looked away, face twisted in confusion. "I…I've been having nightmares about him. And I can hear his voice talking to me in my head."

"Oh dear…" Reeve muttered.

Reno's mind was scrambling. "What the hell is this all supposed to mean? Is Kadaj going to be alright?"

Rufus sighed, looking directly into Kadaj's eyes. "Kadaj, it seems to me when you were resurrected, the Jenova cells you absorbed were still present in your bloodstream. They've been multiplying rapidly, which is the reason for the pain and seizures." He frowned, his voice low. "At the rate they've been going, it looks as though you could once again become Sephiroth. Permanently."

The silence that followed that last sentence was so still; Reno thought he suddenly went deaf. He stared over at Kadaj, who looked as though he might either stand up and kill the President, or throw up. The redhead wished he could just run over and embrace the youth. He wanted to hold Kadaj and whisper that it would all be alright. But…he knew it wouldn't.

"Wait, wait, wait…" Cloud suddenly spoke up, shaking his head. "Are you saying that Sephiroth can come back at any time through Kadaj?"

"Indeed." Rufus nodded. "With the number of Jenova cells increasing in Kadaj's body, Sephiroth can and, most likely, will return."

"And what would happen?" Yazoo's voice was shaky. "What would happen to my baby brother?"

Rufus looked away grimly. "He will die."

Loz and Yazoo both gasped in horror, clinging to Kadaj for dear life. The young Remnant leader sat still and emotionless, green cat-slits staring off into space, even as his brothers held him as they trembled. He looked as though the entire world just crashed down on all he loved, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. His skin was paler than usual, and his luminous green eyes lost their glow. Reno trembled, hoping this was just some horrible unforgiving nightmare.

"So…I'm dying." Kadaj's voice was barely audible over his the whimpering of his two brothers.

Rufus lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

"No!" Yazoo cried out, looking at the blonde President with wet eyes. "No, you can't let this happen. There has to be a cure. You have to find a way to make him better. Please!"

"He's our baby brother." Loz added, his cheeks already wet. "Please, Mr. President. You have to save him. Don't take Kadaj away from us."

Reno looked over at Rufus, silently adding his own desperate pleas to save his beloved Remnant. There had to be something…anything that could prevent Kadaj from such a horrific fate.

"Please, sir…" Reno breathed.

Rufus sighed deeply. "I'm afraid there isn't anything we can do except keep him here and monitor his health."

"For how long?" Kadaj's voice had a slight darkness to it.

Rufus closed the folder. "You won't be returning home, Kadaj. You have to remain here so when you do eventually become Sephiroth, we will be more prepared to stop him than if he was out in the open."

"What?" Kadaj shook his brothers off of him and stood up, a vicious glint in his eyes. "You mean I'm stuck here until I finally get ripped apart by that psychopath? I'm going to die here?"

"Kadaj…" Rufus's voice was gentle, but authorative. "Calm down."

"No!" Kadaj screamed with rage. "I will not calm down! You expect me to calm down after hearing I'm going to be locked up in the one place I hate the most, waiting for my body and mind to be taken over by that homicidal bastard?"

"Kadaj…" Cloud stepped forward. "It's for your own good."

"Oh, bullshit!" Kadaj roared. "If you wanted what was best for me, you'd let me go home to live out my last days with my family. Instead of being trapped in his Goddamn prison!"

"Your brothers are free to stay, Kadaj." Rufus said. "If they want, they can remain here with you to keep you company."

Kadaj snarled. "Oh yes, that's right. Just lock all three of us away. That's what you've always wanted, Mr. President. The three Remnants of the almighty Sephiroth chained up and at your mercy. You son of a bitch!"

Tseng stepped in front of Rufus and drew his gun, pointing it directly between Kadaj's Mako eyes.

"No!" Yazoo growled, pulling Velvet Nightmare out to protect his young brother.

Rufus sighed. "Tseng, stand down." He pushed passed the tall head-Turk and looked at the three angry silver-haired brothers. "I am very sorry for the news, and I do wish there was another way to help you, but there is not. We're only doing what's best, for both you and the city. You will remain in this room under surveillance, and your brothers are free to stay too. We just need to confiscate their weapons to prevent any disturbances."

"Sir, you can't." Reno suddenly blurted. "They hate it here. Can't you just let them go?"

Rufus didn't seem surprised over the redhead's sudden defiance of orders. "I'm afraid not, Reno. Kadaj is too dangerous to be let loose."

"Dangerous?" Reno couldn't help but shout. "He's just a kid! He's sick! It's not his fault!"

"Reno, calm yourself." Reeve frowned. "You're being irrational."

The redhead growled in frustration. "No I am not! This is unfair, yo!"

"If it's so unfair…" Kadaj suddenly spoke up in a low whisper. "Why did you even bring me here?"

Reno gaped. "I had no choice, Kadaj. You almost died."

"At least I would've died a free man, instead of ShinRa's prisoner once again." Kadaj hissed, glaring at him. "You didn't help me at all."

Reno's hands shook. "Kadaj…please…"

The youth turned away from him and buried his face into Yazoo's chest.

Yazoo bit his lip with a whimper, throwing his precious gun at Rufus's feet before clinging desperately onto Kadaj. Loz unclasped his Duel Hound from his strong wrist and tossed it to the floor, big arms coming around to hold his little brother from behind.

Kadaj clung to them, eyes clenching shut to hold back tears, body trembling in fear. Reno bit his lip, trying to keep himself from running over and sweeping the youth into his arms to cradle him and comfort him. He couldn't imagine what Kadaj must've been feeling right now. To have to sit in a room and wait to die…He must've been so terrified…so angry.

It was all his fault.

"I'm sorry." Rufus said softly, before gathering the weapons and exiting the room with Reeve at his side.

Tseng put his gun back into his jacket, refusing to look at Kadaj. Instead, he met Reno's gaze. "Let's go. I have a few missions for you and Rude."

"No." Reno shook his head. "I want to stay."

Tseng narrowed his eyes. "And why would you want to do that?"

"I…" Reno bit his lip, casting a glance towards Kadaj, who was still buried between his two trembling brothers. "…I don't know."

Cloud frowned. "Reno, you go. I'll stay with the boys for a bit."

"I'm afraid you can't do that, Cloud." Said Tseng. "There are no visitors permitted. Too much of a risk. These three will remain alone."

"That's rather harsh, wouldn't you say?" Cloud ran his gloved fingers back through dramatic blonde spikes.

"It's the rules." Tseng folded his hands behind his back.

"Hmm..." Cloud snorted. "Guess I wouldn't expect anything less of the ShinRa Company."

After Cloud left the room, Tseng looked back at Reno. "Come on."

"No." Reno stood his ground, bold and defiant against his superior. "You can't keep them in here."

Tseng scowled. "You have no authority to go against the President's orders, Reno. These three stay. End of story."

The redhead was about to protest, when Kadaj suddenly spoke up.

"Just go." He glared at Reno from between Yazoo and Loz. "What's done is done. You can't help me now."

Reno whimpered. "But…Kadaj…"

"Just leave me alone." He said bitterly, turning his face away. "I don't want to see you anymore."

Those words stabbed through Reno's heart, making it shatter into a thousand fragmented pieces. His throat clenched, and he had to fight back the sting in his eyes as he turned and rushed out of the room.

All his fault…


	13. Broken

**C H A P T E R - T H I R T E E N**

"Get that thing away from me!"

Kadaj hissed viciously like a rabid cat, Mako eyes locked on the glinting syringe clasped in the scientist's hand. He stood behind the bed, using the item of furniture as a shield to protect him against the unwanted injection. Yazoo and Loz stood around him, trying to ease his frazzled nerves.

"Brother, take it easy." Yazoo said softly, holding his arms out.

Kadaj trembled, pointing an accusing finger at the scientist. "Make her put that thing down! I don't like needles!"

The older female scientist sighed deeply. "It's nothing bad, child. It's just a small injection to temporarily slow down the multiplication process of the Jenova cells in your body."

Kadaj blinked. "Wait…there's medication to slow down the cells?" He threw his hands into the air angrily. "Why the hell didn't you just give that to me in the first place so I wouldn't have to be in this Goddamn hellhole?"

"It's only a temporary solution." She said softly, adjusting her glasses.

"Well, give me a large amount." Kadaj demanded. "Stop the cells and let me and my brothers go!"

She shook her head. "That's not a good idea, child. An overdose of the injection will not only stop the Jenova cells, but also stop every other cell in your body. Your heart will immediately seize and you will die."

The young Remnant groaned, covering his eyes with his hands as he slowly paced back and forth. He had only been locked up in ShinRa for two days, and already he felt as though his mind was melting. Sephiroth's face haunted his dreams at all hours of the night, driving images of pain and suffering into his subconscious. He'd awake in a cold sweat, short of breath and trembling all over. Luckily, he had Yazoo and Loz there as emotional support, but he still felt an ice cold emptiness in the very pit of his soul.

He was going to die. There was no way to hide from that.

Kadaj just wished he was back home in the comfort of his bed, instead of trapped here in this Gaia-forsaken hellhole. He didn't want to die a prisoner.

This was all Reno's fault.

If he hadn't brought him here…if he had just held him and waited until he regained consciousness…maybe it would all be different. Kadaj wouldn't be a prisoner. Sure, he wouldn't know what was wrong with him, but at least he would be free.

Stupid Turk.

Kadaj growled, hating himself and his stupidity. He couldn't believe he had fallen for it. For the redhead's charm and false promises. It was complete bullshit. For the first time in his life, Kadaj had the courage to open up and let someone in. The walls he had built around his heart from so many years of loneliness and torture were finally torn down, and he allowed the redhead access to his every thought, wish, and desire. He actually felt safe around Reno. He felt warm and content and…human. He actually felt like he belonged.

What the hell was he thinking? How could he have fallen victim to such misery? Reno was a Turk. Turk's were meant to backstab and deceive others in order to get what they wanted. It was their specialty. And Reno did just that. He used his smooth words and good looks to get exactly what he wanted. He made Kadaj feel cared for, just to get him and his brothers locked back in ShinRa.

Kadaj had never felt like more of a fool in his entire life.

Yazoo came up and wrapped his lean graceful arms around him in a warm embrace. "Brother, would you feel better if I or Loz gave you the needle instead of the scientist?"

The youngest Remnant sighed and gave a quick nod.

"Hmm…very well." The scientist handed the syringe to Loz. "But be careful, please. I don't want any havoc."

"We will." Loz looked at the needle as though it was about to bite him.

As soon as the woman shut the door behind her, Kadaj plopped himself on the small bed. His head was starting to pound.

"It'll be alright, Kadaj." Yazoo said softly, taking the syringe. "I'll do it fast. You won't feel a thing."

"_Not if I have anything to say about it"_

Kadaj groaned as a sharp pain shot through his head. He bit his lip at the ache, trying to ignore Sephiroth's voice echoing through his mind.

"Brother?" Loz asked, clearly noticing his distress.

Kadaj clutched his head. "Just…do it."

As Yazoo approached with the needle, the youth groaned, feeling the vicious voice in his head grow agitated.

"_You think you can stop me?"_ Sephiroth hissed. _"We'll just see about that."_

Just as Yazoo was about to pierce the youth's pale skin with the needle, Kadaj's hand suddenly shot up and seized his older brother by the throat. Kadaj's eyes widened.

"_What's wrong little Remnant?"_ Sephiroth chuckled darkly.

Kadaj whimpered, trying to pull his hand back, but it felt as though it was somehow glued to Yazoo's throat. No…no…he wasn't doing this! It was Sephiroth! Sephiroth was controlling his body.

Yazoo gasped, dropping the needle and choking back his strangled breath. "K-Kadaj…" He clawed at Kadaj's iron grip.

Loz grabbed his youngest brother around the waist, trying to pull him away, but Sephiroth held Kadaj firm.

"Brother!" Loz shouted with panic. "Let Yazoo go!"

Kadaj clenched his teeth, trying to pull back. "N-No…it's…not me…"

Sephiroth snarled, forcing Kadaj's grip to tighten. _"Kill him!"_

"No!" Kadaj shrieked, thrashing as he tried to release his older brother.

Yazoo fell to his knees, choking, his face growing even paler than normal. "S-Sephiroth…?"

Kadaj nodded desperately, tears stinging his eyes.

Out of nowhere, Loz's huge fist came in contact with Kadaj's face, sending the young Remnant flying to the floor, his grip on Yazoo releasing. Yazoo clutched his throat, gasping and coughing as he tried to fill his lungs with as much air as possible.

Kadaj groaned, feeling warm blood slowly trickle from his nose, staining the floor. He curled up in a ball against the wall, shaking and whimpering. Sephiroth had handed the control back over to Kadaj, but the youth could still feel his lingering presence in the back of his mind.

"Brother!" Yazoo came crawling over, wrapping Kadaj in a tight embrace.

Kadaj whimpered, clinging to his brother in fear.

"I'm sorry for hitting you, Ni-saan." Loz muttered, kneeling next to him. "I didn't know how else to end it."

The silver-haired youth shook his head. "It's…okay." He looked up into Yazoo's big cat-slit eyes. "I'm s-sorry."

"Shh…" Yazoo held him close, petting the back of his hair. "It's alright, brother. I know it wasn't your fault."

Kadaj shut his eyes and clung to his brother, feeling cold and empty. He couldn't believe how close he had been to killing Yazoo. He lost control of his body so easily. Sephiroth had the power to manipulate every move he made. He could end up killing someone without being able to stop himself.

What kind of monster had he become?

* * *

He was determined to set things right.

Reno walked through the dark empty corridors of ShinRa, his boot-strikes sounding like rawhide mallets against the concrete floor. He kept a brisk pace, his long crimson ponytail flying out behind him as he turned the corner.

He just couldn't fight this anymore. It had been almost three days since Kadaj and his brothers were first told to stay in ShinRa and, since then, Reno had been spending long days and sleepless nights trying to figure out how he could help them. It was his fault they were even here in the first place.

"_I don't want to see you anymore"_…those last words spoken by Kadaj still made his heart ache. The boy was truly enraged and frightened. Reno couldn't blame him, of course. He had just been given an irreversible death sentence. But, he couldn't let him be alone through it all. He couldn't let Kadaj live his last days hating him for what he did.

He had to get him out.

It was very late, and most of the employees had already gone home. The only ones he was really worried about were Rufus and Tseng, but he hadn't spotted them yet. Hopefully, they too had gone home for the night. The redhead couldn't imagine what would happen if he got caught.

Reno had even taken the liberty of stealing the Remnant's weapons from the vault ahead of time. It really helped having a key-card to access any door in the entire company. Kadaj's Souba was strapped to his back and Yazoo's gun was in the holster on his belt. Loz's weapon was shoved inside his jacket pocket, and jabbed sharply at his side every time he took a step.

Turning into another dark hallway, Reno ended up running smack into a big muscled chest, causing him to stumble backward into the wall.

"Ow…" He muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

"Reno?" Came a very familiar voice.

The redhead looked up and found himself staring at his reflection in a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Rude?" Reno gulped. "Uh…what are you doing here, yo?"

The bald man crossed his strong arms, frowning. "Just finishing up some paperwork. What about you?"

"Uhh…" Reno stammered, unsure of how to answer.

Before he could say anything, Rude lowered his sunglasses and stared at him with wide eyes. "Are those the Remnant's weapons?"

The redhead hesitated with his answer. "…maybe."

"Why do you have them?" Rude raised a dark eyebrow.

Reno searched those dark mysterious eyes he had known for so long, wondering if he could really trust Rude. They had been partners for years. Reno had always been loyal to him, always had his back. Rude was his best friend. They had been though hell and back together. But, could he really be trusted with such a violation of company rules?

"I'm…" Reno heaved a sigh. "…I'm breaking them out."

Rude blinked. "What?"

The redhead stood strong and bold. "I'm breaking them out, Rude. They don't deserve to be locked up like animals. It's my fault they're even in here in the first place. I'm doing this, and there ain't nothing you can do to stop me."

His partner frowned. "Reno, do you even know what would happen to you if anyone found out about this?"

"Yeah, I do." Reno crossed his arms, looking away. "But I don't care. I can't have them suffer cause of some stupid mistake I made."

"They're only in there because Kadaj is too dangerous to be set free." Rude tried to explain.

"No, he ain't dangerous." Reno shook his head with frustration. "He's sick. If we just keep him safe and looked-after in the comfort of his home, there ain't no harm done."

Rude shifted his weight onto his other foot uncomfortably. "I don't know about this, Reno. If you get caught…"

"I know what will happen, Rude!" Reno's voice echoed through the dark corridor. "And I don't care! I'm not gonna let him die in there!"

Rude tilted his head a bit, still calm despite his partner's obvious distress. "Why do you care so much? I thought you hated him."

Reno took a small step back. "I…we're friends. I got to spend some time with the kid, and turns out he ain't half bad. He doesn't deserve to be locked up in here. He's so young."

"Hmm…" Rude frowned. "I guess there's nothing I can say to stop you, so I'm not going to. Just…be careful, alright?"

Reno smiled and nodded in thanks. "Thanks, man. I will."

Without another word, Reno ran passed his partner and towards the room where the three silver-haired brothers were being held. He was lucky Rufus didn't go to the extreme of having their room guarded. He didn't know what he would do if he had to face someone. The redhead didn't exactly have a strategy planned out for this whole break-out. He was simply improvising, like he did for most tasks he set out to do. All he was praying for was a quiet and undetected get-in and get-out.

Swiping his key-card over the control pad, Reno opened the door and stepped inside the dark room. It was so silent when he walked in, he had to let his vision adjust to the darkness to make sure the room wasn't empty.

Yazoo and Loz were both fast asleep of the floor next to the tiny bed where Kadaj was curled up in a tight little ball, snoring softly. Reno smiled, quietly approaching the small bed. He carefully hopped over one of Yazoo's lithe legs, wincing a bit as the long-haired Remnant stirred a bit in his sleep. The redhead removed the weapons and set them aside, before gently sitting on the edge of the bed next to the sleeping youth. Kadaj looked so peaceful lying there, delicate strands of spun silver cascading across his fair innocent face, long eyelashes fluttering a bit as he dreamt. The Turk couldn't imagine the horrors that now plagued the Remnant's sleep now that Sephiroth was in his mind. Reno couldn't help but reach out and softly stroke his warm cheek.

Without warning, Kadaj's hand suddenly came up and seized his collar, whipping him around and pinning him down onto the bed. Reno's eyes widened in shock as he stared up into twin pairs of dangerous Mako eyes. The light shining in from the open door cast haunting shadows over the boy's pale face, making him look dark and malevolent. For a split second, as Reno stared up at those menacing features, he saw more Sephiroth than Kadaj.

The teen straddled him, snatching his Souba from where Reno had placed it. The vicious metallic ring of those twin blades unsheathing made the Turk's heart stop. He tried to squirm away, but Kadaj held him firmly with one hand, while the other pressed the blades of Souba against Reno's throat.

"K-Kaddy!" Reno gasped. "Baby, it's me! It's Reno!"

The silver-haired youth snarled. "I know."

The redhead whimpered. "Kadaj…"

Yazoo and Loz suddenly appeared behind Kadaj, peering over the teen's strong shoulder to catch a glimpse of their brother's new prisoner. All three sets of green cat-slit eyes looked alert and vicious, like wildcats stalking their prey before the final kill. Reno would've never guessed they had been sleeping just seconds before.

"What's he doing here?" Yazoo frowned.

Kadaj glared down at Reno. "That's what I'd like to know."

"I'm breaking you guys out." Reno tried to explain despite his fear of having two very sharp blades against his throat.

"Why?" Kadaj hissed.

Reno swallowed hard. "Because…I…"

_I love you._

"…I feel responsible for bringing you here." Reno said gently, ignoring his own nagging urge to scream out those three little words.

"No…really?" Kadaj said sarcastically. "I can't imagine why."

The redhead gaped up at him, but couldn't muster out the right words to make the situation better. Kadaj was still angry at him, and Reno knew it would be best not to argue. Not now, at least. He had to get the three brothers to a safe destination before he even thought of starting a conversation with the distraught youth.

He watched silently as Kadaj handed the other two weapons back to his brothers, never removing his own sword from Reno's throat. But he couldn't help but protest when Kadaj slid his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out his ShinRa key-card.

"What're you doing?" Reno asked.

Kadaj pocketed the card. "Can't get out of ShinRa without the proper passes, now can we?"

"I can open the door just as well as you can." The Turk frowned.

Kadaj hissed, pressing the blades harder against Reno's throat. "Oh no you don't. I'm not falling for your tricks. We're leaving alone."

Reno blinked. "What?"

The Remnant leader hopped off of Reno and motioned for his brothers to head for the door. Yazoo and Loz exited the dark room silently, weapons drawn as if expecting a sudden ambush in the hallway. Kadaj backed towards the door slowly, keeping his sword drawn and pointed straight at Reno. The redhead stood up.

"Kaddy…" He breathed. "Please, let me help you."

Kadaj's eyes flashed darkly. "I don't want your help."

Reno took a step towards him. "Baby, please, I just wanna set things right."

"Shut it." Kadaj snapped. "I don't want to hear it. I'm sick and tired of your bullshit. You don't want anything good for me."

Reno's breath caught in his throat. He felt as though someone had shoved a molten-hot dagger straight into his chest. He bit his lip. "That's not true…"

"Kadaj," Loz suddenly poked his head into the room. "It's clear. We need to get out of here now."

The youth gave a quick nod, his eyes still locked with Reno's. The Turk stared back, reading the pain and rage swimming in those beautiful Mako orbs. Kadaj was so angry, so frightened, so…broken. All Reno wanted was to wrap him in his arms and hold him until the pain finally ceased. He hated seeing this boy he cared so deeply about in such a state.

"Don't follow us." Kadaj whispered darkly. "If I ever see your face again, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Reno shook his head desperately. "Kadaj, please don't-"

Before the Turk could complete his sentence, Kadaj spun around and bolted out the door. Reno wanted desperately to chase after him, but he didn't. He didn't move from his spot. Reno stood his ground firmly with clenched fists and tear-filled eyes and listened as three sets of running footsteps disappeared down the hall.


	14. To Lose It All

**C H A P T E R - F O U R T E E N**

"Kadaj, it's me again. Please, babe, answer your phone. I've been looking everywhere for you guys. We need to talk, yo."

Clicking off his phone, Reno walked through the busy streets of Midgar, the early morning sun glinting off the thick blanket of snow covering the ground as if it were covered in billions of glorious diamonds. He squinted at the glare, using his hand as a visor to help him peer through the crowds of citizens, hoping to catch a glimpse of silver hair.

The redhead still couldn't understand what just happened back at the Labs. He would replay the scene over and over again like an old-time movie running through his head, and yet he still couldn't believe it had actually occurred. He tried to tell himself it was all just a bad dream. Just a nightmare…

But he knew it wasn't.

Kadaj…dear Gaia, he hated him. This had become so much more than what Reno thought. It wasn't just anger anymore. It was pure, unrivalled hatred. He had seen it burning through the boy's luminescent Mako green eyes. He honestly and truly hated Reno. The youth must've felt so lost. So…betrayed. Kadaj was falling apart. Crumbling from the inside out as that maniac slowly took over his little body. Feeling as though he couldn't trust anyone anymore.

Nothing but a broken child.

Reno's throat clenched, staring up at the bright blue winter sky to allow the soft snowflakes to fall gracefully on his face and hair. What had he done? He tried to set everything right again. He tried to prove to Kadaj how much he cared. How much he loved him. But it was no use. The poor boy's eyes were blindfolded by his fear and anger. He couldn't see the reality. He couldn't see that what Reno did was all for his own good.

Reno groaned desperately. He needed to find Kadaj. Needed to find him and talk some sense into him. He needed the young Remnant to understand everything he did. He never meant for all of this to happen. He already tried calling him several times, but the youth just wouldn't pick up his cell phone.

As soon as he placed a foot in through the doors of Seventh Heaven, Reno suddenly found himself grabbed and thrown against the wall by a pair of strong calloused hands. God, what was with him being shoved against walls lately? He grunted painfully, and looked down into two very angry blue eyes.

"C-Cid!" Reno's eyes widened. "What are you-"

"Shaddap!" The gruff captain snarled. "What did ya do to the boys, Reno?"

Reno blinked. "What?"

Vincent suddenly appeared behind his angry husband, as though he somehow manifested from the shadows. A distasteful scowl curled at the corners of his mouth, blood red eyes flashing darkly, making the hair on the back of the Turk's neck stand on end. Both men were clad in pajamas, hair dishevelled from having just woken up.

"About an hour ago, Kadaj and his brothers came running into the bar." Vincent explained. "They went upstairs, packed their things, and hopped on their motorbikes. We tried to talk to them, but they sped off without a word."

Reno frowned. "Where did they go?"

"That ain't the point' boy!" Cid growled, pressing Reno harder against the wall. "Far as we knew, Turk, them boys were supposed ta be locked up good and tight in ShinRa. Wha' happened?"

The redhead frowned. "I…I let them go, yo."

"I thought you were the one that put them there in the first place." Vincent crossed his arms.

Reno shook his head. "N-no! No, it's not like that at all!"

Cid was about to open his mouth to speak, when the front doors of Seventh Heaven suddenly burst open, causing a wild flurry of snowflakes to come sweeping into the room. Rufus stormed in, followed by Tseng, Rude, and Elena. All were fully armed and looking none-too pleased. Reno swallowed hard.

This wasn't good.

Vincent frowned. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Elena, search upstairs." Rufus ordered, ignoring Vincent's words. "Rude, you check the back rooms."

"Yes, sir!" Both Turks said as one, separating to go forth with their assigned tasks. Rude glanced over at Reno with a frown before disappearing into the back.

Cid put Reno down and tapped Rufus's shoulder. "Ey! Wha' gives ya the righ' to come bargin' in here like this?"

"We're conducting an emergency search." Rufus stated simply.

Vincent frowned, clearly understanding. "They're not here."

The blonde smiled pleasantly. "Can't be too sure, now can we?"

Reno was about to speak up, when Tseng suddenly grabbed him by the back of his hair and threw him roughly to the floor. The redhead groaned, looking up only to find the barrel of a gun pointed between his eyes.

"What the hell was that for, yo?" He shouted up at Tseng.

The other Turk sneered. "I know you had something to do with this, Reno."

"What?" The redhead blinked.

Tseng drove a boot hard into his side, making Reno fly back with a cry of pain. He hadn't even tried to lift his head before Tseng's fist came flying into his face. Reno hit the floor hard, spitting out blood.

"You broke the rules." Tseng snarled, seizing Reno's collar and throwing him at the wall. "You let three fugitives loose!"

Reno groaned, slowly staggering to his feet. "I…I didn't…"

"Bullshit!" Tseng kicked his stomach, causing Reno to double over in pain. "Don't lie to us! I know you wanted to let them go right from the beginning!"

"They didn't belong in there!" The redhead screeched angrily. "They're not animals!"

"Is that a confession, Reno?" Rufus asked in his usual cool tone.

The redhead backed up against the wall, using the back of his hand to wipe the blood from his lips and face. He stared back and forth between Rufus and Tseng, knowing fully what both men were capable of. They were relentless killers. There was no desire to show mercy in either of them, just as long as they got what they wanted. They didn't care who they hurt. They were the best in the business.

Reno knew he had made his bed with this one. He'd broken the rules, and he was to pay for them. He chose to let the Remnants free, and he knew he had to man-it-up and accept whatever punishment was to follow. It was all for Kadaj.

The redhead straightened. "Yes."

Just as that word escaped Reno's lips, Tseng cocked his gun and aimed it at the younger Turk's head. Reno didn't flinch. He just looked at Rufus, who stared back, stoic and silent.

Rude walked back in. "The back is all clear, sir. Nothing out of the…" he trailed off, staring at the scene. "What's going on?"

"Reno's just confessed to letting the Remnant's go." Tseng said, his lethal weapon still pointed directly at Reno.

Rude looked at his partner with a deep frown, but couldn't seem to muster up the right words for a response. He just lowered his head with a sigh. Rude was never one to protest the orders of a superior.

A thunder of footsteps came roaring down the stairs and Cloud appeared, followed by Tifa, Yuffie, and Elena.

"What the hell is going on down here?" Cloud shouted, his fiery blue eyes darting between Rufus, Tseng, and Reno.

Rufus looked at Elena. "Anything?"

"No, sir." She shook her blonde head. "The entire place is empty."

The President sighed with a shake of his head. "We'll have to expand our search to the entire city. They can't have gone far."

Tifa wrapped her robe tighter around her curvy form. "Why are you even bothering? They haven't done anything wrong."

"They escaped." Tseng snarled. "That's enough."

"But Kadaj is sick!" Yuffie blurted.

Rufus shook his head calmly. "You wouldn't understand. He's a threat to the city. The boy is more dangerous than he ever was before."

Reno growled, punching the wall. "It's not his fault, dammit!"

"One more word out of you, and you get a shot of lead right between the eyes." Tseng hissed. "You're the one who let them go. You're the one who put the whole city in danger. I should kill you right now!"

"Tseng, stand down." Rufus ordered.

The head-Turk gaped. "But, sir-"

"No." The President frowned. "You will not have to kill him, no matter what the rules state. I made them, I can sure as hell break them."

Tseng glared at Reno, but obeyed his superior immediately. "Sir, is he not going to be receiving any form of punishment for his actions?"

"Yes." Rufus looked at Reno and held out his hand. "Give me your I.D, Reno. And your EMR."

The redhead blinked in confusion. "…what?"

"You're fired."

There was a stunned silence that followed those last words. Everyone stared at Reno with wide eyes, at a loss for words. The redhead stood still for some time, trying to figure out if he heard Rufus right. He was…fired?

"F-Fine." Reno bit his lip, reaching into the pocket of his pants. He pulled out his ShinRa Turk I.D and tossed it across the room where it landed at Rufus's feet. He pulled his Electro-Rod out of the inside pocket of his jacket and threw it over where Rude caught it in his gloved hands. "…I'm tired of this shit, anyways."

Rufus picked up the I.D at his feet. "Be grateful that this is the only punishment you will receive."

Reno refused to respond.

With that, Rufus quickly exited the bar, followed closely behind by the Tseng and Elena. Rude faltered at the door, staring at his ex-partner.

"Reno...I-"

"Rude!" Tseng shouted from outside. "Let's go! Now!"

After they were all finally gone, the room remained still and silent, all eyes fixed on the redhead. Reno leaned back against the wall, sliding down until he was seated on the floor. He curled his knees up to his chest and lowered his head, wishing Kadaj was here to comfort him. He wanted to cry, but he held back. A Turk never cried in front of anyone…

But, he wasn't a Turk. Not anymore.

"Reno…" Tifa spoke softly, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I'm so sorry."

He stood up. "I need a drink. Please."

Without even arguing about the obscenely early hour, Tifa nodded and headed to the bar to prepare Reno a glass. The ex-Turk walked over and sat himself on a bar-stool, burying his face in his folded arms against the bar top.

"Was what Rufus said true?" Cloud sat on a stool next to him. "Did you really let the boys go free?"

Reno nodded, his eyes burning with those tears again. "I…I couldn't see them trapped in there, yo. Not again. I felt bad."

"Well they clearly weren't grateful." Vincent stated, leaning against Cid. "Or else they would have come here with you. They were in quite a rush. Kadaj looked…upset."

"He's pissed at me." Reno sniffed, wiping his wet eyes. "I need to talk to him, but I don't know where he is. I've tried calling, but he won't pick up his cell."

Tifa placed a glass of Scotch in front of Reno. "Where could he have gone?"

The redhead shrugged, downing the alcohol in one gulp, letting the warm burning sensation calm his frazzled nerved. "They could be anywhere."

Cloud leaned his elbows on the bar. "Well…what's the one place they feel comfortable in? A place they know and are familiar with?"

Reno frowned, thinking hard.

Yuffie spoke up, clearly getting the answer before the redhead. "The Forgotten City?"

Cloud nodded. "That's what I'm thinking. Of all places, I can see them going there. It's like a home to them."

Reno straightened. "That's it, then. I've gotta get to the Forgotten City. I've gotta talk to Kadaj. Let him know what's going on."

"An' how d'ya suppose you'll do that?" Cid lit the cigarette between his lips. "Ya ain't exactly got transportation now tha' ya can't touch the ShinRa choppers. No offense."

Reno frowned, playing with the empty glass in his hand. "I dunno."

"I'll take you." Cloud offered. "We can take my bike to the Forgotten City. Those boys are my brothers. I care too."

The redhead gave a weak smile. "Thanks, Chocobo-head."

Cloud rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Brother, would you please come down from there?" Yazoo pleaded.

Kadaj shook his head, sitting back against the cold branch of the ghostly ice-tree he had climbed. "No."

Loz frowned, rubbing his cold hands together to keep warm. "You can't stay up there all day, Kadaj."

"I'm not." The youngest Remnant crossed his arms. "I just want to be alone. I need time to think. Please."

Yazoo sighed, brushing back a delicate stand of long silver hair. "Very well. We'll be inside if you need us. Please, don't be too long. It's cold."

Kadaj nodded, folding his legs up to his chest, watching both of his brothers disappear back into the grand seashell house. He sighed, staring up into the clear blue afternoon sky. The sun glimmered over the ice forest, making the fragile white branches sparkle with delicate beauty. The chilly breeze billowed through his short silver locks and the loose pieces of leather hanging from his calves, making him shiver.

He took a long deep breath, letting the icy air fill his lungs. It felt so good to get out of the ShinRa Labs. It felt so good to be free. To no longer feel caged up like some animal. And it was all…thanks to Reno.

The youth frowned, shifting a bit. Reno had gotten them out. He had freed them. Well, he tried to at least. Kadaj had taken the liberty of relieving the redhead of the task. He was so angry; he wouldn't welcome any sort of help from that Turk, even if he did want it. His simple agitation and anger had grown to such an uncontrollable fiery rage; but, the teen knew it wasn't all his doing. Sephiroth took such amusement out of toying with Kadaj's emotions. He made the boy ten times angrier than he truly intended to be. He took the tiny bit of anger and frustration brewing in the boy's nerves, and threw gasoline on the flames. He loved seeing his little Remnant lose control.

Truly, deeply, Kadaj wasn't angry with Reno any longer. The redhead had proved his feelings for the boy when he had risked everything to free him and his brothers from ShinRa's clutches. Reno truly was sorry. He did care for him.

"_Hmm…so what now, little one?"_ Sephiroth sneered from deep within him. _"Are you going to take that fool back?"_

Kadaj growled, clutching his head. "That's none of your business. Shut up."

Sephiroth chuckled. _"Oh, you poor pathetic little child. Of course it's my business. I am a part of you. If you wish to run back into that idiot's arms, be my guest. But, I doubt he'd want you back after everything you said to him at the Labs."_

"That was you!" The Remnant snarled. "You made me say those things! You made me that angry! It's not my fault!"

"_That's not what he thinks." _Sephiroth said darkly. _"Then again, he seems like a desperate man. I'm sure he'd come crawling back. No matter, the closer he gets to you, the easier it will be for me to make him my pet."_

The youth's breath caught in his throat. "No! You won't touch him!"

The dark voice inside laughed. _"Oh, you are a real piece of work, Kadaj. Do you really believe you can stop me? It's no use, my little clone. You're falling apart. Deteriorating from the inside out. It'll only be a matter of time before you finally…disappear."_

When a shock of electric pain shot through his veins, Kadaj cried out, nearly slipping from the ice branch. He whimpered. "N-No…you can't…not him…"

All the youth received as response was an evil cackle that echoed through the back of his head.

A strange noise caught the youth's attention, prying his thoughts away from Sephiroth for a brief moment. He perked his ears, listening intently to the usually peaceful forest. There was a low roar in the distance, and it was growing louder. Kadaj frowned, standing up tall on the ice branch to peer through the endless rows of white fragile branches, his Souba clutched in his leather-clad fist.

There, in the far off distance, Kadaj spotted the source of the roaring. It was an engine. A motorcycle engine. The vehicle was speeding down the path towards the Forgotten City. His heart clenched when he saw two people aboard the bike. One blonde, and one with a head of long crimson locks.

Sephiroth chuckled. _"Only a matter of time…"_


	15. Sacrifices

**C H A P T E R - F I F T E E N**

"Any sign of them, Tseng?"

"None of yet, sir." Came the reply on the other end of the phone. "We're still searching. I'll report to you as soon as we've found something."

"Remember, Tseng, they are quick, clever, and extremely dangerous." The President warned. "I don't want you getting captured by them again."

"I know, sir." Tseng replied, sounding less-than cheerful at the reminder.

Rufus sighed and clicked off his phone, stuffing it back into the pocket of his white suit. He slumped forward on his crowded desk, rubbing his throbbing temples. His head rested on soft stacks of papers and reports, but that didn't seem to soothe the headache that was currently stabbing into his skull. He had even taken the liberty of shutting the blinds, blocking any sunlight from creeping into the room.

He needed the darkness. He needed the quiet. He needed to think.

Damn it, Reno. Why in the name of Gaia did he have to do this to himself? Rufus sighed, raking his fingers back through his blonde hair. He hated firing Reno. That boy was one of the finest Turk's he had ever had the pleasure of employing. Hardworking, confident, loyal and fearless. And yet, he had to put it all at risk to break out Sephiroth's three Remnants.

It was the rules to assassinate any employee who broke any law within the company, no matter what rank they stood at. Reno was second-in-command of the Turks. He had gotten a lot of leeway in his past, but none of that mattered when he violated the rules to this extent. But…Rufus couldn't bare to kill him. No matter what he did, the President just couldn't find it within himself to see a bullet driven into Reno's head. He had done the most merciful deed. He only hoped one day Reno would thank him for that.

A sudden knock from the door yanked Rufus back into reality. "Come in." He called out, rubbing his head.

The door opened and Reeve stepped in. "Sir, I brought you some coffee. You look like you need it."

Rufus smiled softly. "Thank you, Reeve."

The older man shut the door behind him and approached the blonde President's desk, holding two steaming cups of hot coffee. Rufus took one of them with a nod of thanks and sipped from it, letting the warmth consume his body and ease his nerves. He sat back in his chair, letting his mind melt into blissful mush.

"Have they found them yet, sir?" Reeve asked, drinking his own.

He shook his head, sliding his eyes shut. "Not yet, Reeve. We have patrols all around the city searching for those three boys. They can't get far."

There was a moment of silence, and then Rufus suddenly felt a pair of strong gentle hands grasp his shoulders. He couldn't prevent a soft moan from escaping his lips when the hands started to massage the tense muscles, kneading the flesh, pressing and rubbing in all the right places.

"Mnm…what are you doing?" Rufus asked.

Just then, Reeve pulled his hands back. "Uhm…I apologize, sir. You just looked stressed and I thought I could help. I didn't mean to step over the line."

Rufus smiled softly, looking back at the dark-haired man standing behind his chair. He reached down and took Reeve's hands, leading them back to his shoulders. "It was a big help. Please…continue."

Reeve blushed fiercely, but did not object his President's wishes. He proceeded with his work, his strong hands working the blonde's tight sore muscles that came along with the stress of being President of ShinRa. Rufus sighed in content, feeling his body melt into a puddle. His mind was a sheer blank. All his worries vanished.

Tipping his head back, Rufus looked up at Reeve standing above him. The older man certainly was attractive. Deep chocolate brown eyes, dark soft hair, a kind smile. He was so gentle, so compassionate and thoughtful. The man was all heart. Rufus couldn't help but smile. With a life like his, he needed someone like Reeve to sweep all his worries away.

"Reeve…" Rufus whispered.

The older man smiled. "Yes, sir?"

Grabbing the man's wrists, Rufus tugged Reeve down to press a soft chaste kiss on his lips. Reeve seemed surprised at this sudden gesture of affection, but quickly softened into the kiss, cupping Rufus's cheeks in his hands. The blonde moaned softly into Reeve's mouth, letting the older man see the softer, weaker side of him he dared not let anyone else witness.

Reeve pulled back slightly, panting, dark eyes glinting. "S-Sir…"

"Yes?" Rufus smiled softly.

The older man came around and sat himself on his President's lap, softly stroking his hair. "We'll find them. We'll find them and all your worries will go away. I promise you."

Rufus wrapped his arms around Reeve's waist, pulling his warm body close. "I hope so, Reeve. If not, our entire planet will be doomed."

* * *

Kadaj watched silently from his perch in the ice tree as Cloud pulled his bike up to the edge of the lake. Cat-slit Mako eyes peered intently at the two figures below, breaths soft and measured, body motionless to not draw attention to himself. He was invisible.

Before Cloud had even turned the engine off, Reno leaped from the bike with ease, the thick snow that coated the forest floor crunching beneath his heavy boots.

"Kadaj!" He cried out, his voice echoing through the forest.

At the sound of his voice, Yazoo and Loz emerged from the darkness of the seashell house, weapons drawn, looking none too pleased at the sight of the Turk. Reno stood his ground near Cloud, keeping as far from the Remnant brothers as possible. Smart move.

"What the hell do you want?" Loz snarled.

The redhead frowned. "I need to speak to Kadaj."

Yazoo sneered, flipping back a long lock of hair. "Hm…well he doesn't want to speak to you."

"I don't care." Reno stood firm. "I'm talking to him."

Kadaj shook his head with a sigh. Reno was so stubborn.

Cloud sat back comfortably on his bike. "Look, boys, it'll only be for a minute. Reno just wants to talk. No harm done."

"Our baby brother is going through enough pain." Yazoo glared venomously at the redhead. "He doesn't need this foolish Turk coming over and adding insult to injury. He's done enough."

"You don't have to call me 'Turk' anymore, yo." Reno frowned. "I lost my job breaking you guys out. The least you could do was let me talk to Kadaj."

The youth's jaw hung open, and his heart sunk. Reno…lost his job? All because of him? Kadaj slunk back against the cold ice tree, feeling the sharp stab of guilt pierce his very soul. It twisted his insides. He almost felt like throwing up.

"_Oh how pathetic."_ Sephiroth snorted.

The young Remnant hissed, but didn't respond. He simply kept his green eyes locked on the beautiful redhead standing below. Reno still didn't seem to have noticed Kadaj's presence near him.

"Please, yo?" Reno pleaded with the other Remnant brothers. "Just a few minutes. That's all."

"No." Yazoo shook his head.

At that instant, Kadaj leapt off the ice branch. He plummeted to the forest floor below and landed on his feet with catlike grace and ease. Everyone jumped in surprise.

"Of all times, little brother?" Loz shook his head. "You had to pick now to come down from the tree?"

Kadaj straightened, brushing the snow off his leather pants. He looked into Reno's powder blue eyes. "What do you want?"

"Can I talk to you?" Reno asked, his voice soft. "Please?"

"We said no." Yazoo told the ex-Turk. "You've hurt our brother enough."

"Go away." Loz added.

Kadaj looked at them over his shoulder. "I can make my own decisions, brothers. Thank you."

Yazoo and Loz both opened their mouths to argue, but Kadaj shot them a look that instantly kept them quiet. They scowled and kept their weapons at hand as they watched Reno.

"Please?" The redhead whispered. "Just a few minutes, then I'll leave."

At those words, a sudden familiar feeling shot through Kadaj's body, making his breath catch in his throat. It was that urge again. That urge to latch onto Reno and never let go. The very mention of the redhead having to leave made the youth's head spin. Oh dear God, no…not again. He couldn't feel this way. Not now…

"F-Fine." Kadaj swallowed. "You have five minutes."

Turning on his heel, the young Remnant started walking deep into the ice forest away from the others. Reno followed close behind, staying completely silent. An action that was so unlike him. Kadaj kept walking through the beautiful glimmering forest, weaving through the ice trees, and squinting at the blinding sunlight pouring through the branches. It was quiet around them, peaceful and serene.

Suddenly, Reno grabbed Kadaj's hand in his own, making the youth turn around to look at him. The Remnant stared up into those eyes, so blue; they rivalled the sky even on the clearest of days. He could feel the warmth of Reno's hand through the leather of his glove, and smell that rich unique scent that always lingered on the redhead.

"_That's it, little Remnant…"_ Sephiroth chuckled. _"Let him back in. You know you want to. Go on…"_

Kadaj frowned, and pulled his hand out of Reno's grip, turning his back. No…he would not have Sephiroth take over. "What do you want?"

"Kaddy…" Reno whispered. "How have you been?"

The youth frowned. "You came all this way to ask me that?"

"Well…no." Reno answered. "It's just that ShinRa is after you guys. They've put on a massive search throughout the city. No doubt they'll look here too, yo."

"Hm…" Kadaj still didn't turn to look at him. "We'll be fine. We've run from ShinRa before. We never stay in one spot for too long." He crossed his arms. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Can you look at me first, Kaddy?" The redhead asked.

"_Yes, 'Kaddy'" _The dark voice laughed._ "Look at him. Look into the eyes of your beloved and tell him how he will soon be in my grasp!"_

Kadaj clenched his eyes shut, resisting the urge to scream at the nagging voice in his head. He balled his fists. "Are you going to talk, or what?"

"Yes." Reno said. "But you gotta look at me first, Kaddy."

"Don't tell me what to do!" The youth snapped. "And don't call me 'Kaddy'! My name is Kadaj!"

There was a long silence after that, the only sound being the wind whistling through the trees. Kadaj could still hear his screams echo through the forest. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to bottle up his uncontrollable anger. Dammit Sephiroth! He was messing with his emotions again.

"I'm sorry." Reno's voice was soft and slightly hurt.

"W-Whatever…just…" Kadaj groaned, rubbing his temples. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Not wanting to ask the youth to turn around again, Reno walked around Kadaj to that they were facing each other again. The freezing wind whipped through his long red ponytail and loose clothing, but Reno didn't seem to care.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I did." Reno said. "I never meant to hurt you, Kadaj. Honest. I was only trying to help."

The youth crossed his arms. "Hm…I've heard that before."

Reno seized his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Kadaj, please! Listen to me! I would never do anything to hurt you. I know what I did pissed you off, and I'm sorry, yo. It was a stupid move. I never wanted to destroy what we had."

"_How sweet."_ Sephiroth cooed mockingly. _"He's so sensitive. Oh, how easy it will be to crush him in my hands."_

"No!" Kadaj shouted, throwing Reno's hands off him. He backed up against the trunk of a nearby tree, holding his head and shaking.

The redhead blinked, approaching cautiously. "Kadaj? Are you alright?"

"Why the hell are you doing this, Reno?" Kadaj hissed. "I told you I never wanted to see you again."

"I know…but I didn't want to lose you, yo." Reno stepped closer and reached out to cup Kadaj's face. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Kadaj. I've lost everything. You're all I have."

The silver-haired Remnant stared at him for some time, really unsure of what to say at the moment. He did not push Reno's hand off his face, didn't scream at him, or punch him, or run. He just stood there, trapped between the redhead and the tree.

"You didn't answer my question." Kadaj frowned. "Why the hell are you doing this?"

Reno leaned in close, his hot breaths gently caressing Kadaj's pale skin. "Because I love you."

Kadaj felt his heart leap into his throat. He had to remind himself to breathe. Everything around him froze. Time stood still. It was just him, Reno, and those last few little words that seemed to hover in the air above their heads. Kadaj's mind was a blur. Reno…loved him? Did he hear that right? Good Lord, was Sephiroth toying with his mind again?

"What?" Kadaj breathed, eyes wide.

Reno pressed against the youth, whispering. "I love you, Kadaj."

The young Remnant was taken aback when Reno suddenly kissed him, warm and deep and loving. His eyes fluttered at the familiar and utterly delicious taste of Reno on his lips, and he struggled to keep himself from throwing his arms around the beautiful man. Reno pressed him hard against the icy cold trunk, fingers coming up to tangle in his silver locks, lips refusing to part from his.

Deep within his mind, Sephiroth chuckled. _"Oh, Kadaj, I never realized how weak you were. Letting your knees wobble for this idiot. You truly are pathetic."_

Kadaj whimpered, trying to pull back but Reno refused to release him from his iron grip. Instead, he deepened the kiss, sliding his hot wet tongue into the youth's mouth, making him gasp and moan softly. Oh sweet Mother…the things this redhead did to him! The Remnant wanted so very badly to kiss back, to throw himself on the ex-Turk and devour him in tenderness and warmth. But, he held back. He refused to kiss back.

He couldn't allow himself to get close to Reno. Not again. Not when Sephiroth was after him. But, dear God, the way he kissed…

"_Go on, Kadaj."_ The voice inside whispered darkly. _"Surrender to him. Give your very being to him. Make sweet passionate love to him; hear him scream your name as he moves above you. Hear his screams of passion before his screams of pain. Spend your last moments with him before I make him wish he was never born. Go on, my little puppet. Go on…"_

Kadaj screamed, throwing his fist up and punching Reno across the face, ending the kiss and making the redhead fall to the snowy ground with a pained groan. The Remnant panted, falling to his knees, whimpering and shaking like a child that had just woken up from a nightmare. He held his head in his hands, trying to drown out the mocking laughter echoing through his mind. He couldn't allow Sephiroth to touch him No…no he couldn't…not Reno…

The ex-Turk slowly got to his feet, staring at him while rubbing the throbbing area of his cheek. "Kadaj…"

"Just get away!" The youth screamed, tears stinging his eyes. "Get the hell away from me! Go!"

"No." Reno stood firm. "I ain't letting you go, baby."

"_Listen to him, Kadaj."_ Sephiroth said sweetly.

The silver-haired teen screeched in rage, more towards Sephiroth than Reno. "Just get the hell away from me! I don't want to see you! I hate you! I hate you! Go away! Now!"

The redhead gaped at him, his eyes watery. "Kadaj…"

"I hate you!" Kadaj roared at the ex-Turk. "I hate you! I never want to see your stupid face again!"

Reno stared at him in horror, his blue eyes glistening with tears. Kadaj felt his heart shatter just looking at him. He looked so…broken. Like the entire weight of the world came crashing down upon him.

The redhead bit his lip, looking away. "…I love you, baby. I always will."

Without another word, Reno turned and ran. Kadaj listened with short breaths as his footsteps faded away into silence, which was then interrupted by a motorcycle engine driving off into the distance. As soon as the forest around him was quiet once more, the Remnant collapsed to the snow with a cry, wrapping his arms around himself, wet Mako eyes stinging as tears poured down his pale cheeks.

He had done it. Reno was gone. He was safe. Sephiroth couldn't touch him.

Kadaj whimpered, curling up in a tight trembling ball, feeling completely and utterly alone.

"…I love you, too."


	16. In Hiding

**C H A P T E R - S I X T E E N**

White.

That was all Kadaj could see as he stared out the mouth of the cave. Nothing but a blinding white curtain of billowing snowflakes disabling any traveller from finding their way back to the safety of a warm home. The wind whistled through the wasteland, sending out an eerie scream echoing through the frozen tundra. Kadaj shivered with cold, rubbing his upper arms for warmth.

Deep inside, he could feel himself deteriorating. His body was becoming so sensitive to his surroundings. Usually, he wouldn't feel this cold, especially when he was sheltered in the warmth of a small cave with his brothers, but now it felt as if he were standing right in the middle of an ice storm. He was shaking; his body was so weak, so sick, and so…useless. Even the smallest movement would make him feel exhausted. His life was draining out of him.

He was dying. He couldn't deny that anymore. That was his harsh reality.

And he hated it.

Leaning against the rough cave wall, Kadaj closed his Mako eyes. The icy wind gently billowed through his short silver locks, letting the ends ever-so-slightly brush against his leather-clad shoulders. As soon as his eyelids slid shut, the vivid image of Reno slithered into his mind. He clenched his fists, despising how the redhead's face still haunted his thoughts. How long had it been since they last spoke in the Forgotten City? Three weeks? A month? Kadaj couldn't keep track of time anymore. It was all a painful blur.

"_I love you, baby. I always will."_ Those last words burned the young Remnant's soul and scarred his heart forever. He would find himself lying awake at night in pain, his cell phone clutched to his ear as he replayed Reno's messages over and over again. The sound of his smooth voice helped ease the agony. It drove Kadaj's thoughts away from the fact that he was slowly fading from existence. Sometimes that would cause the youth to start weeping, but Yazoo and Loz never questioned him for it. Never asked why their youngest brother would start crying at random. No, they only held him and whispered that all would be well in the end, even though they knew it was a lie.

Kadaj jumped suddenly when a pair of strong leather-clad arms wrapped around him from behind. They held him close, but not firm.

"Kadaj…" Came Yazoo's soothing voice in his ear. "You shouldn't be standing out in the cold like this. You'll get sicker."

The youth snorted, leaning back into his older brother's warmth. "I doubt that's possible."

Yazoo hugged him tighter, crushing his little brother to his chest in a desperate need to have him close. Kadaj could feel Yazoo's slender body shake with tears. His long silver hair was stuck to his pale wet cheeks, and Kadaj brushed it away.

"Do not cry, brother." He whispered.

Yazoo buried his face in Kadaj's shoulder, crushing them together in an almost suffocating embrace. The youth sighed, gently petting his older brother's back as he wept bitterly. He knew his sickness was causing Yazoo and Loz so much unnecessary pain. They hated seeing him suffer. It hurt them just as much as it hurt Kadaj.

The three of them had always been together right from the beginning when they were created in the Labs. Yazoo and Loz, even though they were older, always looked to Kadaj to guide them. Kadaj was the clever one. He was their leader. The chosen avatar for Sephiroth's power.

He didn't know how his brothers would manage without him.

Pulling back, Kadaj gently wiped the tears from his older brother's cheek.

Yazoo sniffed. "Please, come inside. You need to stay warm."

Kadaj nodded and followed Yazoo back into the warm darkness of the cave. Yazoo made sure to keep his arms around his brother as support, because it was becoming harder and harder for Kadaj to hold himself up with his weakening body. Loz was busy tending to the fire, throwing as many dried sticks he could find into the rising flames. Kadaj sat himself against the rough rocky wall, curling up tightly as the warmth from the fire slowly thawed out his body.

"Are you hungry, Kadaj?" Loz asked over his shoulder. "We still have some fruits here. Or Yazoo could make a stew for us again."

The youth shook his head. "That's alright. I'm not hungry. You two eat."

"You need your strength, brother." Yazoo frowned.

"_Yes, Kadaj…"_ Sephiroth's voice slithered into his mind. _"You need to eat something. Poor little Remnant is becoming so weak and fragile."_

Kadaj growled. "Leave me alone."

Loz blinked, staring at him. "What?"

"I was not talking to you." Kadaj frowned.

When Loz and Yazoo exchanged a worried glance, it was obvious they both knew who it was Kadaj was speaking to.

"_Oh, you have become so sensitive."_ Sephiroth chuckled. _"Is it because you don't have your precious Turk to run to? Oh, excuse me. I meant ex-Turk. I nearly forgot that imbecile lost his job for you."_

The silver-haired youth gritted his teeth, but said nothing. Sephiroth was only trying to get a rise out of him. And it was really close to working.

"_Poor lonely little Kadaj…"_

Kadaj snapped. "Can I ask you something, since it looks like you're not going to shut up for once? You're going to take my body. I'm going to die so that you may live. Why can I not have at least one moment of happiness before that happens?"

"_Happiness?" _The voice chuckled.

Kadaj bristled. "Yes. Happiness. Why can't I be with him before I die? He makes me happy. Why must I have to die alone when I know there is someone out there that cares for me?"

"_Because love is a cruel thing, my little puppet."_ The voice simply stated.

"How the hell would you know?" The youth growled, ignoring the odd looks his brothers were giving him. He knew he probably looked insane to them, sitting there talking to himself. "You've never known love!"

Sephiroth growled. _"Do not speak of things you are clueless about, boy!"_

The young Remnant frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Sephiroth didn't answer. Instead, an image suddenly appeared in Kadaj's mind as though a movie had been turned on in his head. The image was of a young man.; tall, young, and very good looking. He had a head of wild raven spikes that pointed backward, giving him a constant windswept appearance. His eyes were a bright cerulean blue, and they glistened with mischief and playfulness. He was dressed in a traditional SOLDIER uniform, and a buster sword, similar to the one Cloud always carried, was strapped onto his back.

But, there was something about him. Something not right. It was almost a bittersweet memory. Beautiful and tragic at the same time. The youth just couldn't put his finger on it. But, just as quick as the image of the boy appeared, it was gone, and Kadaj was left with an uncomfortable silence in his mind.

"What happened to him?" The youth asked.

"_He is dead."_

He nodded in understanding. "I see. I'm sorry for that."

Sephiroth snorted. _"I do not require your pity."_

"You aren't getting any from me." Kadaj said bitterly. "But, if you knew what it was like to have loved and lost, why are you putting me through this? Why are you not allowing me to be with him?"

"_If I cannot be happy with the man I love, neither can you."_

"What!" Kadaj almost screamed. "That's not fair!"

"_Life can never be fair for a Remnant." _The voice said bluntly.

Kadaj was on his feet now, anger boiling though his veins. "You selfish son of a bitch!"

Yazoo and Loz stood up as well, watching him with worry.

"Brother…" Loz said softly. "Calm down."

Kadaj didn't hear him. He was too busy trying to keep himself from bursting with rage. His heart was racing inside his chest. He hadn't had this much energy in weeks. He paced back and forth.

"You are keeping me from the one man that I feel human with, just because you're lonely?" Kadaj growled. "What, are you jealous of my happiness? Mother's second favourite finally has something the great Sephiroth cannot have?"

Sephiroth hissed. _"Watch your tongue, boy."_

"You're nothing but cruel pathetic bastard!" Kadaj screamed.

The next moment, Kadaj found himself collapsed on the floor, crying out in agony as the Jenova cells in his bloodstream sent out vicious electric pulses through his body. Sephiroth snarled, antagonizing the cells over and over again to cause the young Remnant more pain.

Yazoo and Loz came rushing to his side, sweeping up their little brother in their arms.

"Brother!" Yazoo pleaded. "Brother, no! Stay with us! Please!"

Kadaj ground his teeth at the brutal agony, his body jerking and convulsing with every molten hot jolt. Tears streamed down his cheeks, a mixture of pain, sadness, and absolute hatred towards the little voice in his head.

He held onto Yazoo and Loz as he shook violently in their arms, wanting to feel the warmth and contact of his dear brothers just in case he died right then and there.

"_I'd be careful, little clone. One slip up, and you'll be nothing but a memory."_

* * *

"How is he?"

Yazoo frowned, eyes cast downward towards the small Remnant. Kadaj had fallen unconscious after his vicious attack, the pain seeming to be too much for his already weakened body. His head was rested comfortably on Yazoo's lap, but he didn't look like himself. This wasn't the Kadaj he'd always known. His usually soft hair hung limp over his face, his skin was paler than usual, and his green cat-slit eyes had lost their usual fiery glow. He was a lot leaner too, looking almost malnourished. This sickness was eating away at him.

The long-haired Remnant looked up at Loz, who sat across from him to tend to the fire. "Still the same."

Loz sighed, lowering his head. The orange light from the blaze flickered across his chiselled features and slick silver hair. "He's going to die soon, isn't he Yazoo?"

"Yes." Yazoo saw no point in sugar-coating it.

At that moment, Loz rose from his spot near the fire and came over to sit right next to Yazoo. He wrapped his strong arm around his smaller brother, holding him close to his warmth. Yazoo gave a shaky breath, laying his head on one of Loz's broad armoured shoulders.

They stared into the flickering flames for what seemed like an eternity, there being no need for words at the moment. The wind outside whistled loudly as the snow storm continued. It was a good thing, though. With the storm being as severe as it was, there hadn't been the sound of a ShinRa helicopter for days. That was a relief, seeing as how those Turks had been pursuing them endlessly ever since they had left the Forgotten City a month ago. Yazoo couldn't count how many times he and his brothers had to take shelter beneath trees or in caves or in abandoned homes to keep themselves from being spotted. But, it was far too dangerous to fly in these conditions. They were safe for now.

"I don't want him to die." Loz whispered after a while, his deep voice choked with tears.

Yazoo entwined their gloved fingers together, giving his hand a squeeze. "I know, brother. I don't want it either."

"Why did it have to be him?" His older brother asked in frustration. "Why is Kadaj always the one to suffer?"

Yazoo shook his head, unsure of how to answer that. That same question had been swimming around his own mind for some time as well. Kadaj was so young. He was always so strong on the outside. A proud and clever young leader. A master swordsman with a quick thinking mind. But deep down inside…passed that stubborn and sometimes arrogant exterior, he was still a child. A poor suffering child. It was not fair.

Kadaj gave a low whimper, shifting in his sleep.

"Shh…" Yazoo whispered softly, petting his brother's hair in a tender moment of comfort. "Easy, brother. It's going to be alright."

The young Remnant groaned softly, but did not awake. He shifted, cuddling in closer to Yazoo's stomach. "Mnm…Reno..."

Yazoo exchanged an odd look with Loz.

"Did he just say 'Reno'?" Loz asked, his brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Hm…" Yazoo stroked Kadaj's cheek. "I believe so."

"Why?"

The long-haired Remnant shrugged. "I could not say, Loz. Maybe…"

"Maybe?"

Yazoo looked right into his older brother's eyes. "Do you remember those things Kadaj shouted at Sephiroth? That Sephiroth was keeping him from being happy with the one man who made him feel human?"

"Yeah…I didn't understand that." Loz scratched his head in thought.

Yazoo shrugged. "Well…maybe that man is Reno."

Loz looked at him strangely, as though Yazoo had suddenly sprouted a second head. "You're not serious. Reno?"

He nodded, petting Kadaj's hair softly. "You saw how eager Reno was to talk with him back at the Forgotten City. And also, Kadaj did sneak out that night to spend time with him alone. I'm thinking in some way, they see each other as more than just friends."

Loz screwed up his face, staring down at Kadaj's sleeping form. "I find that hard to believe. I thought Kadaj hated him."

"Love is a strange thing, brother."

"It's damn confusing."

Yazoo chuckled, laying his head back on Loz's shoulder.

Loz sighed, combing his leather-clad fingers through Yazoo's long hair. "What are we going to do, Yaz?"

Yazoo frowned, watching his baby brother sleep soundly curled up on his lap. "I want to make Kadaj happy. He does not have much time."

His brother nodded solemnly. "How?"

"I say we take him to Reno."

Loz blinked. "What? Yazoo, we can't! All of ShinRa is looking for us! We can't go back into that city again!"

"I know…" Yazoo said softly. "But we must do this. We've snuck into the city once before when we were searching for Mother. We can do it again."

"I don't know about this."

"Kadaj deserves happiness, if only for a little while." Yazoo said firmly. "I am tired of wiping his tears and telling him it'll be alright when we all know it won't be! Our baby brother is dying, Loz! Sephiroth is going to steal him away from us for good!"

"I know." Loz frowned, holding Yazoo close. He sighed. "Alright, Yazoo. If you think it's for the best, we can go."

Yazoo smiled. "Thank you, Loz. I am sure Kadaj will be most appreciative."

"When do we leave?" Loz asked, stretching his strong body.

"Immediately."


	17. Bittersweet Reunion

**C H A P T E R - S E V E N T E E N**

Holding his hand out in front of his face to block the piercing wind, Yazoo pressed forward through the endless ocean of knee-high snow. Loz followed at his heels, carrying a still-unconscious Kadaj in his arms. The brothers had managed to sneak their way into Midgar without being detected. Now all that was needed was to find Reno's house. But, it was extremely dark in the city for some reason. There wasn't a single light shining through any window in the buildings surrounding them. Not even a streetlight was turned on to assist the young Remnants in finding their way. All they saw was darkness and snow. Everything was a dizzying blur.

"We're walking in circles, Loz." Yazoo shouted over the wind. "I can't see where I'm going!"

Loz shivered, pressing Kadaj closer to his massive chest. "I t-told you this was a bad idea. We should have n-never left the cave."

Yazoo frowned, tucking a few billowing strands of long silver hair behind his ear. Glowing Mako eyes searched the darkness desperately, hoping for any sign of human life. But what intelligent being would be out in such a storm? All the citizens of Midgar were probably curled up in their nice warm beds by now. Including the Turks, thank Mother. The last thing they needed right now was a God damned ambush.

When he felt a strong hand on his shoulder, Yazoo looked back.

"Yaz, do you even know where Reno's house is?" Loz asked.

Yazoo didn't respond. In fact, he had absolutely no clue where the redhead's house was. He hadn't even thought about it. And this city was so big. It could have been anywhere.

Loz sighed, looking around. "We're lost. We should go back."

"No." Yazoo shook his head. "We can't. Not when we've come this far. We'll figure something out!"

Turning, the two brothers continued their trek through the blinding snowstorm. Leather froze stiff and cracked with every struggled movement, silver hair hung limp and soaking wet around frozen faces, pale skin burned with the touch of icy wind. It was cold, wet, and utterly miserable. Still, the Remnant brothers pressed on, weaving through dark city streets.

Every so often, Yazoo would look back at his baby brother nestled warmly in Loz's burly arms. Kadaj still hadn't awoken from his attack. It was clear that his condition was worsening. They had to get him in out of the cold as fast as possible, before something terrible happened.

Up ahead, Yazoo thought he spotted someone. He squinted through the snow, trying to make out the dark shadow just a few meters away. It was definitely a person. But who, Yazoo couldn't tell. It was much to dark. At this point, he really didn't care who it was. The fact they had actually spotted someone was nothing short of a miracle.

"Hey!" Yazoo cried out to the mysterious figure. "Excuse me!"

The dark figure stopped and turned towards his voice. It heard him. Yazoo smiled and ran through the snow towards it. He knew what he was doing was beyond foolish. That shadow could have very well been a member of ShinRa. Just in case, he kept Velvet Nightmare close at hand.

"Can I 'elp ya, love?" Said the figure in an unfamiliar female voice.

Yazoo breathed in relief. It wasn't anyone he knew. When he got close enough, he saw that it was a woman. She was no older than thirty, with a tired but pretty face caked in dark make-up, and tousled black curly hair that was pinned up. She wore clothing that exposed a fair amount of skin, and a cigarette hung from her lips. Judging from the way she looked and carried herself, it was no doubt this woman was a prostitute.

Yazoo panted, stopping a few feet from her. "I'm sorry, but my brothers and I need your help."

The woman looked him up and down, a smirk curling at the corners of her full red lips. "Hm …Yer a pretty thing. I'd be glad to help ya, hon. But, it'll cost ya. I ain't no cheap whore."

"What?" Yazoo blinked. "N-No. Nothing like that. I was wondering if you could direct us somewhere?"

The prostitute frowned when Loz appeared behind Yazoo.

"Wha' 'appened to 'im?" She motioned to Kadaj, who lay limp in Loz's arms. "He don' look too good."

"He's sick." Loz said. "Why are all the lights out?"

"Power outage, love. Storm knocked out a couple lines and the whole city's blacked out." She took another deep drag from her cigarette. "So, ya lookin' fer a hospital or somethin'?"

"No, actually we're looking for a friend." Yazoo explained. "His name is Reno. He used to be a Turk."

"Hmm…what he look like?" She asked.

"Tall, kinda skinny. With blue eyes." Yazoo explained.

"Walks around like he owns the place." Loz couldn't help but add.

Yazoo rolled his eyes. "And he's got long hair. Red. In a ponytail."

To his surprise, the prostitute's face lit up. "I know exactly who yer talkin' about. He used to walk by here everyday on his way home from work. Damn good-lookin' man he is, but he never seemed interested in me or any o'the others. Real sweetheart, though. Never treated us whores no different from other girls. Every once in a while he'd have a drink with us, but he never stayed long."

Yazoo nodded with a smile. "Yes, that sounds like him. Do you know where he lives?"

"Yeah, he lives a couple blocks from 'ere." She frowned deeply. "But I don't think it'll do you boys any good."

"Why?" Loz asked.

"Well, when he was a Turk, them blokes at ShinRa payed for 'is apartment. Ya know, kinda part o'the whole company package deal." She shook her head with a sigh. "Now that the poor boy's out of a job, ShinRa's gone and kicked him out of his home. He don't work fer them no more."

Yazoo covered his face with his gloved hands, feeling positively shattered. Damn, and they were so close!

"That's unbelievable." Loz shook his head.

"Tell me 'bout it, hon." She took another drag, letting the wisps of smoke dance from her lips. "I 'aven't seen 'im in weeks. I 'ave no clue where he could be stayin' now. I just hope ta God it's warm."

Yazoo sighed, reaching out to shake her hand. "Well, thank you for your kindness and your assistance. It means a lot to us."

"No problem, love." She shook his hand with a wink. "Now, you three get to a warm place. I don't wanna hear about yer deaths on the mornin' news."

He nodded, leading Loz back down the road in the opposite direction.

"Now what?" Loz frowned.

Yazoo sighed, looking over at the tiny form in Loz's arms. "We need to get him someplace warm. This exposure cannot be good for his already weakened immune system."

The huge Remnant looked around. "Where could we go?"

"The one place in this city where we know we are safe. " Yazoo answered. "Seventh Heaven."

* * *

"God damn this snowstorm all to hell!" Cid growled as he nearly tripped over a box lying on the basement floor.

Vincent sighed, keeping the flashlight clutched in his hand as they made their way to the power control panel below Seventh Heaven. The storm had knocked out the power and the building was getting colder and colder with each passing minute. Tifa had lit candles all around the bar for lighting, but it did nothing where warmth was concerned. Cid, being the stubborn one he was, refused to believe he was going to freeze to death because of a blackout. He was determined to turn the power back on, even if it killed him.

Cid fumbled his way around the darkness, his hands feeling along the wall. "Vin, ya think you can shine that thing fer me? I can't see!"

Vincent nodded and lifted the flashlight to illuminate the wall. The blonde Captain looked around for a minute or so, before finding a small metal door on the wall leading to the switches controlling the power. He opened it and peered inside at the mess of tangled wires and knobs. Vincent stood behind, holding the light high to shine on the control panel.

"Well, ain't this damn perfect?" Cid grumbled, pushing away a few cobwebs.

"This'll do you no good, Cid." Vincent stated softly. "The power is out, and there's no backup generator. We're stuck like this."

"Ta hell we are!" Cid said, fidgeting with a few buttons and knobs. "I ain't about ta freeze cause of some storm!"

Vincent chuckled, taking his long crimson cloak and wrapping it around Cid. "Who said anything about freezing?"

His gruff husband gave him a smile, one arm snaking around Vincent's waist to hold him close. "Wait a minute. Does this Gods-fersaken blackout mean you and I can go upstairs and snuggle?"

"Perhaps." Vincent said with a soft smile.

Cid purred and leaned up to press a warm kiss to his dark husband's lips, the cloak still wrapped around them both. Vincent returned the kiss in kind, loving the warmth emitting from Cid's strong body, and the spicy taste that lingered on his lips. The blonde pulled back, nuzzling Vincent's face with his stubbly cheek.

"Mnm…" Vincent sighed softly, taking Cid's hand. "Come. Everyone will be wondering what's taking us so long."

Hand in hand, Vincent led Cid back up the basement stairs and into the bar where everyone was seated. Tifa had Denzel and Marlene curled up together in one of the booths, wrapped in a fluffy blanket. Cloud was seated at the bar with Tifa and Yuffie, all of them drinking from steaming mugs of hot chocolate. The room was dark, but the golden light from the many candles made it feel snug and cozy.

"Nothing?" Cloud asked when he spotted them entering.

Vincent shook his head. "Looks like we're powerless until the storm is through."

Yuffie shivered, taking a long sip from her mug. "That's just great. Why can't we-" She was cut off when there was a sudden knock on the front door.

"Who in the world?" Tifa frowned.

Vincent watched as Tifa walked over to the door and unlocked it. A gust of icy wind and snowflakes came billowing into the room when the young woman finally opened the door to see who was knocking.

She gasped. "Yazoo? Loz? What…how…?"

"Can we come in?" Came Yazoo's familiar soft voice. "Please?"

Tifa stepped back and allowed the two leather-clad forms to enter the bar. They shivered with cold, brushing the snow from their silver hair. Vincent frowned deeply upon noticing the third Remnant brother lying limp in Loz's arms. That wasn't a good sign.

"Yazoo!" Marlene suddenly cried out with joy, running across the room to throw her arms around the long-haired Remnant's waist. "We missed you!"

Yazoo smiled gently, kneeling down to hug the small girl back. "We've missed you too."

Marlene pulled back. "You're really cold."

"We've been walking through the storm for a few hours." Loz explained.

With those words, Tifa rushed over and grabbed more blankets. She then threw them over Yazoo and Loz's shoulders. Both Remnants seemed surprised at the gesture of kindness, but didn't protest. They simply smiled in thanks.

Cloud stood and approached his brothers. "What are you guys doing here? What happened to Kadaj?"

"He's gotten sicker, Big Brother." Yazoo frowned, wrapping the blanket tighter around his shoulders. "We can't keep running from ShinRa with him feeling this way. We had nowhere else to go."

"ShinRa is still after you." Cloud pointed out. "Coming here wasn't a good idea."

"We know." Yazoo nodded. "But, we were hoping you could keep us safe for a few days? I swear on Mother, we'll be gone as soon as the storm is over. We need to keep Kadaj warm."

The blonde nodded without hesitation. "You can stay in your old rooms. Except Kadaj. His room's been occupied."

Loz frowned. "By who?"

As if on cue, there was the thunder of footsteps coming down the stairs. Vincent turned and looked just as Reno entered the room, his long ponytail flying out behind him. He was dressed in a simple pair of faded blue jeans and a loose white dress shirt, since his usual Turk's uniform had been given back to the company. He wasn't even wearing his goggles anymore, which caused his fiery bangs to fall over his eyes more than usual. The redhead froze in his tracks when he noticed the silver-haired boys standing in the room.

Reno had been living in Kadaj's room above Seventh Heaven for a few weeks since he'd lost his own apartment. Cloud and Cid had assisted the redhead with moving a few of his possessions into the bar until he was able to find a place of his own. Ever since he had returned from the Forgotten City, Reno just hadn't been the same person. He was oddly quiet now, and he drank a hell of a lot more than usual. Vincent suspected the alcohol was being used to numb some kind of inner pain the redhead was suffering through.

"Reno!" Yazoo gaped. "We've been looking for you."

The ex-Turk frowned, his jaw moving to speak but no sound came out. He seemed more surprised than anything to see the Remnants after all this time. When his blue eyes moved to Kadaj lying in his older brother's arms, Vincent could have sworn the young man's face went three shades paler. Yazoo seemed to have noticed it too.

"He's gotten worse." He told the ex-Turk.

Reno didn't respond. He just continued to stare silently at Kadaj.

"Would you boys like some hot chocolate?" Tifa asked Yazoo and Loz. "It'll drive the chill from your bones."

Loz nodded. "Thank you. We just need to bring Kadaj to bed. He needs to warm up."

"No." Reno finally spoke up, making everyone look at him. "You stay. I'll take him to his room. That's where he'll feel most comfortable. I'll sleep on the couch."

To Vincent's surprise, neither Loz nor Yazoo protested the redhead's wishes. This was odd, considering the fact that he was certain neither of the Remnant's enjoyed Reno's company.

Carefully, Loz took Kadaj and laid him in Reno's outstretched arms. The redhead held the unconscious youth gently against his chest, blue eyes looking down at him in an unspoken moment of pure affection. Vincent could not believe what he was seeing, but at the same time, it really didn't surprise him. Reno cared for Kadaj. He could read it in the redhead's eyes and in his gestures.

Kadaj groaned softly, pressing closer to Reno's chest.

Reno cradled the young Remnant. "Shh…I got you. You're safe now."

Without even a glance up towards the others, Reno turned and carried Kadaj up the stairs and out of sight.


	18. Insatiable

**C H A P T E R - E I G H T E E N**

He didn't remember dying.

With an obscure sense of apprehension, Kadaj wondered if the distant murmuring voices drifting into him meant he was again about to experience that transcendent ending: death. While he didn't remember dying, the young Remnant dimly recalled the distant, embodied voices saying that he probably had.

But if he didn't remember the dying, he remembered the pain before passing into the great realm of darkness. The pain, he never forgot. He remembered the sharp shocks of pain running through his body, from his head to his feet, over and over again; he remembered how weak his body became, as though his every limb had suddenly turned into jelly; he remembered the scaring terror of having no breath to gasp at the agony; he remembered Sephiroth's cruel voice stabbing into his subconscious, antagonizing the Jenova cells more and more until Kadaj was certain he would die right then and there.

The sounds of muffled voices at last tugged the Remnant's eyes open. He squinted against the agony that had been tempered, if not banished, while in the sweet cocoon of sleep. Kadaj looked around and was baffled to see that he was back in his old room above Seventh Heaven, curled up warmly in his bed. The room was extremely dark and quite chilly, the only light coming from a few flickering candles on the bedside table.

But…how did he get here?

Only then did Kadaj notice the two dark figures standing above him. He recognized them instantly as being his brothers, both from their Mako eyes that glowed in the darkness, and the strong scent of leather that filled his nostrils. Yazoo was petting his hair, and he smiled softly at the youth when their eyes met.

"Brothers?" Kadaj murmured weakly.

"Shh…" Yazoo touched the side of his face. "Sorry if we woke you, Kadaj. We were just coming in to check up on you."

"How are you?" Loz whispered tenderly.

Kadaj gave a small groan. "My head is killing me. I'm really cold, too."

Yazoo nodded and gave his gloved hand a gentle squeeze. "The power is out from the storm. There isn't any heat, so you need to bundle up."

The youth frowned. "But…how did we...?"

"Don't worry about that, Ni-Saan." Loz smiled softly. "You need to save your strength. You're safe here."

Kadaj desperately wanted to question how in the name of Gaia he and his brothers had ended up in Seventh Heaven without being detected by the Turks. But, he was much too tired, and his head was throbbing like a jackhammer. At least they were finally out of harms way. Cloud and the others would protect them from ShinRa. They were safe for the time being.

Slumping back against the pillow, the young swordsman tried to lift his free hand to rub his tired eyes, but found it trapped beneath something. Frowning, Kadaj turned his head and looked over, only to see that the captor of his hand was, in fact, someone else's hand.

The youth felt his heart leap into his throat.

Reno sat on a chair at the other side of his bed, fast asleep with half his body slumped on top of the mattress. His head was nestled under one folded arm, while the other was stretched out to hold tightly onto Kadaj's hand. There were faint streak marks on his cheeks as though he had recently been crying, and his long flaming hair cascaded out over the bed like a river of blood.

Kadaj couldn't help but stare at him with caught breath, contemplating whether or not this was just some cruel hallucination that Sephiroth was causing through his headache. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that had happened. So many times over he had forced himself to believe that he would never see Reno again. That his cruel vicious words and actions had driven the ex-Turk out of his life for good. It was almost surreal to suddenly have him lying only a few feet away.

Loz's soft voice dragged Kadaj back into reality. "He hasn't left your side since we brought you here."

The young Remnant blinked. "…Really?"

Yazoo nodded. "He's been very worried about you."

"Everyone has." Loz added.

"Yes, but Reno more than anyone. He's been sitting here with you for over an hour now. He won't budge." Yazoo sighed, "I even heard him crying a bit."

Kadaj frowned, looking over in the ex-Turks' direction. He still cared.

Yazoo leaned in to press a soft kiss to Kadaj's brow. "Get some rest, brother. We will be in the next room if you need us."

All Kadaj could do was nod and watch as his two brothers left the room, closing the bedroom door behind them. As soon as they were gone, Kadaj peeled the blankets off of his body and sat up beside Reno's sleeping form. Softly, the youth used his free hand and reached out to run his fingers through those long red locks. Reno did not awake at the touch, but tightened his grip on Kadaj's hand. The youth smiled, gently lifting Reno's hand to his lips to kiss it. He was so warm.

"_Oh, how sweet." _Sephiroth purred.

Kadaj stiffened, almost forgetting about the presence that always lingered in his mind. "No…please, leave us alone."

To the young Remnant's surprise, there was no response from the dark voice in his head after that. He waited a few moments, just to be sure, but it was dead silent. There was no sign of Sephiroth. Perhaps he finally decided to give Kadaj peace for once? The youth wasn't sure, but he wasn't about to let this rare opportunity go to waste.

Leaning in, Kadaj softly nuzzled the back of Reno's neck, taking in the unique scent that always lingered on the redhead. The youth breathed the man in, softly brushing his lips against the warm skin. God, how he loved Reno's smell. Spicy and rich, like an expensive cigar. It enveloped him like a blanket, warming him in a way no fire ever could. The Remnant buried his face in the man's disheveled red hair, purring at the soft strands delicately brushing against his cheeks. He reached out and ran his fingers down Reno's back, feeling every bump of his spine beneath the simple thin white shirt. He held his hand against the ex-Turk's back, feeling his body slowly rise and fall beneath his palm with every breath he took. For a long time he just lay there against Reno, feeling him breathe beneath him, feeling as though he were cradling this man's life, his very existence, in the palm of his hand.

He was in love with Reno. Kadaj could not deny that. Sure, he had never truly known what love really felt like, but it must have been pretty close to this. Reno meant more to him than anything before. More than the Reunion, even more than Mother. Indeed, he positively adored his brothers, and he would die for them in a heartbeat, but this…this was different. Reno made him feel real. Human. Like he actually mattered. Holding him, kissing him, it felt more natural to him than his very own heartbeat. He never wanted to lose that.

"Mnm…" Reno moaned softly at Kadaj's touches.

Lifting his head, Kadaj watched the ex-Turk slowly shift out of sleep with a soft sigh. His blue eyes fluttered open and he used the back of his hand to rub the sleep out of them. The Remnant smiled softly when Reno looked up at him.

"Kadaj?" He breathed.

Before he even had time to open his mouth, Kadaj felt his hand shoot out to close around Reno's throat. The redhead's eyes widened in horror, choking with breath when the leather-clad hand squeezed in an attempt to crush his windpipe.

Kadaj gasped. Oh God no…

"K-Kaddy!" Reno coughed and clawed at the youth's hand.

"_That's it, Kadaj."_ The voice suddenly slithered back into his mind, cruel and vicious. _"Kill him."_

Kadaj tried to pull his hand back. "N-No…No! No! No!"

Not again…oh dear Mother, not again! Sephiroth was taking control of his body, just like he had before with Yazoo. He was using Kadaj's body to kill Reno. His Reno. The youth whimpered, desperately trying to pull back. His hand was closed tight around the ex-Turk's throat like a vice.

Reno kicked and thrashed and struggled as he tried to escape, but it was no use. Though Kadaj was a fair bit lighter than the ex-Turk, he was using Sephiroth's strength as well as his own. Reno was no match for him. His face was turning red from the lack of oxygen in his body.

The youth whimpered, helpless tears streaming down his cheeks. He searched those powder blue eyes, silently pleading for Reno to read the fear in his face. This wasn't his doing, it wasn't his fault. It was Sephiroth. Kadaj would never hurt him.

Kadaj stared down at Reno and prayed he understood. "…Sephiroth…"

At that instant, Reno's fist came flying up against Kadaj's face, releasing the youth's grip on his throat instantly. Kadaj was thrown to the floor in a heap, his lower lip busted open and bleeding from the contact with the redhead's knuckles. He could hear Reno coughing and gasping for much needed air, but the Remnant refused to look up at him. He remained on the floor on his hands and knees, spitting out the taste of blood in his mouth, his whole body trembling.

He was a complete fool for even thinking Sephiroth had left his mind, if even for a second. That was an impossible dream. Sephiroth was always there. Even now he could sense his presence looming at the back of his mind, but Kadaj made it a point to ignore him completely. Kadaj desperately wanted to scream at the top of his lungs with the rage that was coursing through his veins at that very moment. Sephiroth tried to kill Reno. His Reno! And he tried to make it seem as though it was all the youth's brutal doing. The coward! Killing an innocent person while hiding behind a mask. The swordsman had never felt this angry in a very long time. He was ready to punch something.

Kadaj felt a pair of strong arms suddenly close around his body to crush him into a tight embrace, and he stiffened, unsure of what to make of it. Reno said nothing in regards to this action. He just pressed the silver-haired teen closer to his chest. Kadaj could feel the redhead's heart pounding frantically. He wrapped his arms around Reno and began petting his back slowly in hopes of calming him down. For a long time, they just held each other, comfortably shrouded in the shadows of the dark room. Kadaj's knees were beginning to hurt from kneeling on the hard cold bedroom floor, but he refused to budge from such a position.

The young Remnant buried his face in Reno's shoulder. "…I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault." The redhead mumbled, combing his fingers through the back of Kadaj's hair. "I know he was doing that to you. Don't apologize."

The youth tightened his hold on Reno. "He wants to hurt you. He always tells me that. Every change he gets, Sephiroth mentions that when he finally takes over my body, he'll kill you. I…I couldn't let that happen." When Reno didn't respond, Kadaj continued. "All those things I said back at the Forgotten City, they were all lies. I only said those things to drive you away. I thought that if you weren't around me anymore, Sephiroth couldn't touch you. It was a stupid thing to do, but I had no choice."

Reno pulled back slightly and looked down into Kadaj's eyes. "Kadaj…you did…why? You could have told me. I would have stayed away."

"No you wouldn't have." The youth shook his head. "I know you, Reno. You wouldn't have budged. That's why I had to say all those things."

The ex-Turk frowned, using a thumb to gently wipe the blood off of Kadaj's lower lip. "So…you don't hate me?"

Kadaj held Reno's warm hand to his face and pressed tender kisses all over the palm. "What do you think?"

Reno smirked and leaned in to close his hot wet mouth over Kadaj's neck, kissing and nipping on the sensitive flesh, making the youth shudder with a small gasp. Those arms wrapped around Kadaj once more and, before he knew it, the Remnant found himself swept off the floor with ease and carried over to the bed. Glowing Mako eyes watched intently as Reno gently laid him down on the soft bed, keeping his hands planted firmly on the youth's lower back for support.

Reno smiled softly and leaned in over Kadaj, blue eyes hazy as he pressed their foreheads together. "Say it, Kaddy."

Kadaj reached a hand up and brushed his gloved fingertips over Reno's cheek. "I love you."

With that, Reno pressed a kiss to Kadaj's lips, deep and warm. The youth's eyes fluttered closed with a small moan, returning the gesture of affection despite the slight sting from the gash on his lip. He could feel Reno's fingers running up and down his leather-clad chest, petting him and admiring him as though he were a priceless piece of fragile glass. Kadaj parted his lips slightly, inviting the redhead's hot slick tongue into his mouth. The youth groaned as he felt Reno sweep their hot tongues together, sucking the breath from his lungs. He kissed Kadaj's neck, his cheeks, his eyelids, and the youth felt the moisture of his mouth linger wherever his lips had touched. With each kiss from his beloved, the Remnant felt every pain, every moment of anger and fear, dissolve into much needed passion.

The world seemed dreamlike when Reno pulled back from him, the firelight setting his face aglow. He was seated comfortably on Kadaj's lap and, without speaking, the youth began to undo the buttons of Reno's shirt one by one. He watched Kadaj as he did this and listened to his soft breaths as the teen made his way downward. With each button, Kadaj could feel himself softly brush the skin of Reno's chest. When the shirt was finally open and discarded to the floor, the Remnant pulled off his leather gloves and slid his hands over Reno's body, touching him as lightly as possible, exploring every inch of this beautiful redhead that had claimed his heart. Kadaj ran his fingers down Reno's lean back, his ribs, his stomach, before the ex-Turk seized one of his hands and led it up to his chest to hold it over the spot where his heart still raced.

"It belongs to you." Reno whispered softly.

Kadaj smiled softy and sat up. He removed his hand from the spot on Reno's chest and replaced it with his lips. He planted soft kisses over the redhead's chest, claiming the pounding heart as his and his alone. This was his heart, his Reno. No one could ever take that away from him. One of Reno's hands reached down and seized the zipper of Kadaj leather suit, sliding it downward until it was fully open. He lifted his head and allowed Reno to kiss him again as he rolled his shoulders, freeing himself from the tight leather.

Falling back against the pillow, Kadaj whimpered softly when Reno began to trail his moist lips down his pale chest. He closed his Mako eyes and combed his fingers through the ex-Turk's hair until it was finally free from the ponytail. The long red locks tumbled over Reno's shoulder, the ends tickling the skin on the swordsman's stomach. Kadaj arced his back with a long moan when Reno's lips found that one spot on his abdomen that drove him wild, kissing and suckling the sensitive flesh.

Reno reached for the clasp of Kadaj's leather pants and undid it, lifting the youth's hips to slide them off in one fluid motion. The redhead pulled back and gazed down at the naked Remnant beneath him, his blue eyes scanning every inch of his pale lithe body. Kadaj couldn't keep his cheeks from heating up.

"Damn…" Reno breathed, skimming his fingertips over the youth's belly, almost checking if what he was seeing was real or not. "You're perfect."

Kadaj smiled softly. "I'm far from perfect."

Reno kissed him gently, pressing their hot bare chests together as he slipped his own pants off to be discarded on the floor. "You're my kind of perfection."

It was almost slow motion when their naked bodies finally came together, pressing in all the right places, places Kadaj never knew existed. The youth lifted his head and kissed Reno's chin and neck, breathing hard. He ran his fingers through those long red locks as Reno held himself above him, his muscles hard from exertion. Reno made a soft noise as he began to rub their hips together. Kadaj felt his own body respond in anticipation and he whimpered loudly, his legs wrapping tightly around Reno's waist. Reno did this slowly, over and over until Kadaj couldn't take it any more.

Reno kissed Kadaj's eyelids, stroking his temple with gentle brushes of his fingertips. When they finally joined as one, Kadaj cried out loudly and buried his face in the redhead's neck, digging his nails into his back. Kadaj felt Reno deep inside him, felt his strength and his gentleness, felt his muscle and his soul. Never in his life had he experienced such a sensation before. It was incredibly painful, but Kadaj found himself wanting more of it.

Reno looked down at him, his face flushed. "Did…Did I hurt ya, baby?"

"N-No." Kadaj breathed.

When the ex-Turk began to move rhythmically above him, Kadaj felt his mind melt into a puddle of absolute nothingness. He moved with him, allowing the redhead to take him anywhere he wanted, to the place they were meant to be. Kadaj felt a few pained tears trickle down his cheeks, but Reno kissed them away gently, cradling the youth's face in his hand. Kadaj opened his cat-slit eyes and watched Reno in the firelight, marveling at his beauty. The redhead's body glistened with beaded sweat, which rolled down his chest to fall onto Kadaj like rain. The pain Kadaj felt at first gave way to electric pulses that fried his brain and made his body jolt with bliss. His hands reached up to cling onto his lover's shoulders, nails leaving desperate grip marks as Reno's movements began to pick up speed.

Gripping onto Kadaj's back, Reno used the seemingly everlasting energy he was blessed with to hoist the youth up so that he was now in an upright position on his lap. Kadaj buried his face in one of Reno's shoulders, moaning and whimpering loudly as he moved above him. Reno held their slick bodies together, feathering kisses all over the youth's pale sweaty chest.

Reno looked up at him, his red hair clinging to his face. "Y-You belong to me. No one else can have you, K-Kaddy. Not Sephiroth, not ShinRa, not anyone. You are mine. All mine. And I will fight for you. I promise, I will make all this pain go away. I love you."

"I love you, t-too, Reno." Kadaj whispered between gasps, leaning in to kiss his lover deeply.

They went on all through the night, making sweet passionate love in the light of the flickering candles, and making up for all those moments they had lost with each other. Sweaty bodies became tangled in sheets as they tumbled across the bed together. Incoherent words fled from their mouths that neither man could hear. They were both bubbling over, their emotions and senses clashing into one hefty whirl of passion - nothing was enough, they were beyond Gaia, they had left the world within each other. They were both exhausted, but unwilling to stop the pleasure between them.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two lovers finally hit that final tidal wave of hot sensations. Muscles froze and voices choked through long blissful cries. The rapture cut through them like a knife, stabbing at them marvelously. All too soon it crept away, loosening their blazing bodies. Kadaj felt every ounce of energy get sucked right out of his body, and he collapsed with Reno onto the bed. Reno's head rested comfortably on Kadaj's glossy belly; rising and falling with every frantic breath he took. They lay there for a while, not speaking and completely unable to move, their minds coming back round to reality.

Grabbing the sheets, Reno crawled up the Remnant's body and snuggled against his chest, wrapping them both in the thin blanket. Kadaj smiled weakly and stroked the back of his lover's damp fiery hair. When he felt something wet and warm hit his chest, Kadaj looked down.

"Reno?" He frowned. "Why are you crying?"

The redhead didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leaned up and kissed Kadaj deeply, his breaths shaky from the tears that still streamed down his cheeks. When he pulled back, his blue eyes were filled with fear, "Don't leave me, Kaddy."

"Shh…" Kadaj pulled Reno tightly against him, petting his back tenderly. "I won't. I would never leave you, Reno. I love you." He kissed the top of his head. "Go to sleep. Rest. I promise, I'll still be here when you wake up."

Reno sniffed back his tears with a weak nod and nuzzled Kadaj's neck, drifting off into much needed sleep. Kadaj held Reno's sleeping form against him for some time, his hazy mind swarmed with thoughts. Before long, Kadaj was soon swept into the warm embrace of sleep and he surrendered to it, holding Reno close as a single tear trickled down his cheek.


	19. Run

**C HA P T E R - N I N E T E E N**

Reno watched him sleep.

He couldn't help himself really. Even in sleep, Kadaj looked positively gorgeous. The young Remnant lay there beside him, his body spent and radiant in the faint glimmer of morning sunlight coming in through the window. Long graceful eyelashes fluttered as he dreamed, soft even breaths brushing against the redhead's skin.

Reno pulled him closer to his chest, wanting to feel the warmth of Kadaj's life against his body. His fingers delicately toyed with the soft silver strands of the boy's hair, and then slowly trailed down his soft cheek, neck, and chest. He held his hand over Kadaj's heart, feeling it pulse beneath his palm.

Kadaj was alive. He had made that promise last night and kept it. His beautiful little Remnant was still with him.

But for how long?

Even now, as the two of them lay in the sweet afterglow of what they had shared last night, the Jenova cells in Kadaj's body were slowly breaking him down. Coursing through his veins like a vicious poison, burning and deteriorating him from the inside out. It would only be a matter of time before Kadaj would be gone, and Sephiroth stood in his place. And Reno couldn't do a thing about it.

The very thought of that caused tears to sting the ex-Turk's eyes, but he wiped them away quickly. He would not be seen crying in front of Kadaj. He would not show anymore sadness or grief or anguish. No…he would take every horrible emotion he had stabbing at his heart, and he would lock them away in a box to be stored right at the back of his mind where he couldn't reach. No one knew how long Kadaj had to live, and Reno was going to make the best of it. If he couldn't keep his Kaddy from dying, he would make every last day with him count.

Reno leaned in and feathered soft kisses all over Kadaj's face, showering his lover in undying affections. Kadaj muttered something incoherent at the touches, a small content smile crossing his full lips. Reno kissed that smile, soft and delicate, so as not to wake the sleeping teen. The taste of those lips caused memories of last night to flood back into the redhead's mind. It had been so perfect. Making sweet love to Kadaj like he'd always dreamed he would. Feeling his soft skin brush against his own as they moved together, hearing him moan and gasp his name into his ear, his voice hot and needy, the way his lean fighter's body glistened with a sweat in the firelight…it almost seemed like a hazy wonderful dream.

"I love you, baby." He whispered softly, though he knew the Remnant couldn't hear him.

"Mnm…" Was Kadaj's only response as he snuggled in closer.

A light knock on the bedroom door snapped Reno's attention away from Kadaj. He sat up and made sure the bed sheet was properly covering their naked bodies.

"Come in." He yawned.

Vincent pushed open the door and stood aside as Cid strolled in carrying a tray of tea and fruit. Both men were fully awake and dressed, even though the sun had just barely risen into the sky. Reno guessed with Cid's job back at Rocket Town, they would have been used to getting up extra early.

"I brought ya boys some tea." Cid said, placing the tray on the bedside table. "The power's back on, finally."

"Thanks, yo." Reno nodded, snatching a grape from the tray and popping it into his mouth.

Cid smirked, eyeing Kadaj who was still sleeping soundly next to his redheaded lover. "How's he feelin'?"

"Tired." Reno said.

"He would be. It sounded like 'e had one hell of a nigh'."

The redhead nearly choked on the grape, his cheeks heating up with an uncontrollable blush. "You heard us?"

"Reno, the entire house heard you." Vincent said.

Cid shrugged, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and placing it between his lips. "No worries. It ain't like we never heard somethin' like that before. A couple 'o people were jest surprised, that's all. Mostly Cloud. No one ever suspected you would end up screwing Kadaj."

Reno frowned, pulling the bed sheet higher over his body. "I'm in love with him."

"We figured that." Vincent smiled softly, leaning against his husband.

Cid lit the cigarette and took a long drag from it. "There ain't no problem with tha'. But, Reno, in all honesty. You really think it's a good idea?"

The ex-Turk frowned deeply, not liking the sound of the question. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Wha' I mean is Kadaj is dying. I ain't the type of man to sugar-coat nothin' That's the truth." Cid leaned against the baseboard of the bed. "The kid is goin' to die."

"I'm fully aware of that, thanks." Reno said bitterly.

Cid took another drag. "No need to get bitchy with me, boy."

Vincent frowned. "What Cid is trying to say, Reno, is that are you really doing yourself or Kadaj any favours by having this relationship? It only makes everything hurt a thousand times more when the time comes."

Reno clutched the sheets in his fists, his knuckles white with the sheer exertion. He growled, "So are you trying to say I shouldn't be with him? He needs me!"

"We aren't saying that…" Vincent said calmly.

"We just don't want ya to get hurt too bad when the kid finally does…well, ya know." Cid frowned.

"That's a little late." Reno placed a gentle hand on one of Kadaj's legs that was laying over one of his own. "I just got him back. I'm not going to leave him again. He can't be alone at a time like this."

Vincent adjusted the long crimson cloak that always hung from his broad shoulders. "And when he does die? What will you do then?"

"That's not exactly a subject I've gone out of my way to think about." Reno said coldly.

"Well perhaps it should be." Vincent stated.

Reno was just about to open his mouth to argue, when the door suddenly creaked open once more and Yazoo and Loz stepped into the room. They too, were also dressed in their signature black leather attire, and immediately crossed the room to Kadaj's side before even acknowledging the other three men in the room.

Yazoo sat on the edge of the bed and his light weight sunk into the mattress ever so slightly, but not enough to even stir Kadaj in his slumber. He took his little brother's hand and looked up at Reno, his green eyes glimmering in the sunlight. "How is he?"

The redhead felt the hot anger that had been coursing through his body slowly simmer down. "Better. He's a bit tired, but I assume you two also know why that is."

"We'd rather hear the details, thank you." Loz smirked.

Yazoo chuckled, stroking the top of his brother's hand with his gloved thumb. "I'm just glad to know he's happy. It's been rough."

"I can imagine." Reno frowned, remembering the unexpected attack from Sephiroth last night.

Just then, the silver-haired youth stirred, bringing a hand up to rub his tired eyes as he slowly came out of his slumber. Reno smiled softly at him when those hazy green cat-slits looked up at him.

"Mornin' beautiful." He pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Sleep well?"

"Mnm…" Kadaj nodded, sitting up in bed. He gave a big yawn and stretched his lithe arms above his head. When his vision finally came into focus, he jumped when he noticed the crowd in his room. "Uh…wow. Who threw the party?"

"Trust me, if this was a party, I'd be pissed drunk righ' now." Cid winked.

"Good morning, brother." Loz said pleasantly. "How do you feel?"

Kadaj frowned a bit, seeming to still not like the fact of having so many people in his bedroom. "I'm alright. Bit of a headache, but it's tolerable."

Reno kissed his lover's temple gently. "You hungry, babe? Cid and Vince brought us some tea and breakfast."

When the young Remnant gave a nod, Reno grabbed the tray from the bedside table and set it on the mattress in front of them, being careful so that the tea didn't spill all over the place. He sat back and let Kadaj eat, his arm wrapped protectively around the youth's bare waist. He was almost afraid of letting go.

Yazoo scooted closer to Kadaj, stealing a cherry from the plate of fruit. "How's he behaving, Kadaj?"

Reno frowned deeply, knowing full well Yazoo wasn't referring to him. His grip on Kadaj's waist tightened.

"He's…quiet." Kadaj said, sipping his tea.

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Loz asked. "I mean, before you couldn't get him to shut up."

"I don't trust it." Kadaj shook his head.

"You shouldn't." Vincent said from across the room. "He's the last person on Gaia and beyond you should trust. Don't let your guard down for a moment, Kadaj."

"He's a sly bastard." Cid added. "He could very well be playin' ya."

The teen nodded, chewing a strawberry thoughtfully. When he looked over and noticed the worried expression on Reno's face, he tilted his head back and covered the ex-Turk's mouth with his own. The redhead sighed wistfully against the kiss, tasting the sweet fruit on Kadaj's lips. His grip on his waist tightened.

Kadaj pulled away and entwined their fingers. "Take it easy, Reno."

"Sorry, yo." Reno nuzzled the youth. "I'm just worried."

Everyone jumped suddenly when a horrible high-pitched squeal rang out through the room as Yuffie came flying in through the door. She threw herself on the bed and wrapped her arms tightly around Kadaj, sending them both flying backward. Yazoo was quick enough to grab the teacups before they could spill, but there was a fair amount of fruit all over the bed.

"Yuffie!" Kadaj grunted under her weight. "What the hell?"

"You're alive!" She shrieked with joy, hugging the boy's neck tightly. "We were so worried about you! I thought you were done for!"

"Yes…I'm alive…" Kadaj gasped for breath. "…but I won't be for long…if you…keep…choking…me…"

She pulled back quickly. "Oh! Sorry!"

Kadaj coughed a bit, sitting up. He shot Reno a dirty look when he noticed him biting his lip to keep himself from bursting with laughter. Cid, Yazoo, and Loz were also trying to contain their sniggers. Vincent just rolled his eyes.

Yuffie giggled, getting off of Kadaj's lap. "So, is this a bad time to ask if you have any Materia on you?"

The young Remnant raised a thin silver eyebrow. "Yuffie, look at me. If I did have Materia, where the hell do you think I'd put it?"

Only then did the ninja notice both Kadaj and Reno were stark naked under a thin bed sheet, and her face turned a shade of red that would put even Reno's hair to shame. No one in the room could contain their laughter any longer, not even Vincent.

* * *

"Sleep well?" Tifa asked as she poured some coffee into a mug.

Cloud shrugged with a wide yawn, running his fingers back through his wild blonde spikes. "I guess so. I spent most of the night trying to block out the noises from Kadaj's room."

Tifa laughed, pouring herself a steaming mug as they sat together at the bar. Cloud, on the other hand, found it about as funny as getting trampled by a Chocobo. He did care about Kadaj and he wanted all the best for him, but hearing him making all those noises with Reno just down the hall had disturbed him in a way nothing else could.

"C'mon, Cloud." Tifa smirked, blowing softly on her coffee. "It's not like you haven't heard two men making love before. You were in SOLDIER, after all."

The blonde shuddered. "There's a difference between hearing a comrade having sex and hearing your baby brother having sex. A very big difference."

The brunette laughed again. "I suppose you have a point. But, it's nice to see him back to his old…energetic self."

Cloud had to agree. "It's odd with him, you know? One day he's fine, and then the next he's barely alive, and then the next he's fine again."

"Is that common with his condition?" She asked.

"No clue." Cloud took a sip of his coffee and winced a bit as it burned his tongue. "No one has ever had this…Jenova cell poisoning before. Not unless you count Geostigma, but that was a whole different matter. Kadaj has Sephiroth inside him."

Tifa sighed with a shake of her head. "The poor thing. It must be so scary not knowing what's going to happen to you."

"He's strong." Cloud said. "I know that for a fact, what with my past history with him. He has a chance of beating this."

"Let's hope so." She nodded.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted the peaceful morning mood, and Cloud exchanged a frown with Tifa. Who in the name of Gaia would show up at a bar at seven in the morning? A bar that was closed, no less.

The blonde rose from his seat and headed for the door, grabbing his buster sword along the way. It was probably the paperboy or something, but one could never be too careful nowadays. When Cloud unlocked the door and opened it, he was met with a very familiar pair of blue eyes. His heart stopped.

"Good morning, Cloud." Rufus ShinRa smiled. "May we come in?"

Cloud's jaw worked to try to speak, but no sound came out. He wanted to slam the door shut, but he knew he couldn't. That was the last thing in the world he could do. Rufus wasn't an idiot. Any odd word or movement would immediately arouse his suspicions. He couldn't risk that. Not with the boys being right upstairs. He could do nothing else.

"Of course…" Cloud opened the door wider and stepped aside.

Rufus nodded in thanks and walked proudly into the bar, closely followed by Reeve, Tseng, Rude, and Elena. Cloud could feel his heart inside his throat, and he reminded himself to take a few calm breaths.

_Please boys, for the love of Gaia, don't come downstairs._

Tifa gave Cloud a worrying glance before turning to her attention to their new guests that seated themselves at the bar. "What can we do for you?"

"A cup of coffee would be brilliant, thanks." The blonde President said. "It's been a long and cold morning."

Cloud approached the group slowly, keeping his mood calm and stoic. "The sun is barely up, Rufus. What on earth have you been up to?"

"We've been following a new lead." Tseng answered for his President.

Tifa almost missed the cup when she started pouring the coffee. "…Lead?"

"Indeed." Rufus smiled softly. "We've heard news that Kadaj and his gang are back in the city."

Cloud could feel all the blood rush from his face. "Oh?"

"You haven't heard?" Reeve raised an eyebrow towards me.

"No." Cloud shook his head. "I would have never expected them to return here. They know the risks."

Rufus sipped his coffee. "We had a few witnesses come up to us reporting seeing a couple of leather-clad figures with silver hair wandering the streets last night. I immediately took into account that the snowstorm we experienced did cause some vision problems, but having a series of random people come up to us to report the same thing is no coincidence. They are back."

Just then, a few loud footsteps creaked on the floor above them. Everyone's eyes were drawn upward towards the noise. Cloud could feel his heart in his throat and he wanted to vomit it up.

"We still have a few members of AVALANCHE staying with us." Tifa tried to explain. "They were going to leave, but we got snowed-in last night."

"They must all be getting up." Cloud added.

To his relief, Rufus gave a nod. "Understandable. That storm was dreadful."

Once again, the loud footsteps were heard above them, along with a loud thunder of laughter. Yuffie's giggles were the loudest, thank God, and they drowned out the familiar voices of the three Remnants.

"The children must be causing trouble again." Cloud said when it looked as if the President would rise from his chair. "A few night's ago, Marlene drew a horrendous picture of me on the wall that had everyone in stitches. I'd better go check up on them to make sure."

With that, Cloud turned on his heel and headed upstairs. He wanted to run to get to them quicker, but he was afraid that would immediately set the Turk's off. They were an incredibly intelligent and deadly bunch. They read body language better than anyone he knew. Very calmly, the blonde mercenary marched up the creaky steps and down the sunlit hall towards Kadaj's bedroom.

When he appeared in the doorway, the room immediately went dead silent when every pair of eyes caught the expression on his face.

"Run."


	20. Beginning of the End

**C H A P T E R - T W E N T Y**

"Be careful." Reno muttered softly.

Kadaj looked over his shoulder at him, the frigid morning wind billowing through his silver locks. He was sitting on the window ledge right outside his bedroom, waiting to climb down to safety. He gave the redhead a sweet crooked smile. "I'm always careful."

The sun glistened on the snow coating the rooftops surrounding the Bar, making it almost impossible for Reno to look out the window without squinting. Far below them, Loz was keeping watch over the front doors of Seventh Heaven just in case any Turk's were planning on stepping out. Cloud had returned back downstairs with Yuffie, Vincent, and Cid in hopes of keeping Rufus and his minions distracted until Kadaj and his brothers were safely out of harms way.

Seeing as there was no other way out, the brothers had no choice but to climb out the window. Loz was already safely on the ground, and Yazoo was currently half way down the side of the building. It took a long time to climb out the window. Leather and ice wasn't a good combination, and they could slip at any given moment. Kadaj sat on the window ledge waiting his turn, while Reno remained inside the bedroom to stand guard. The ex-Turk was surprised to see the youth acting remarkably calm at the moment, but he assumed Kadaj knew panicking wasn't the wisest thing to do when hanging out of a window.

"I thought you were scared of heights." The redhead said softly, leaning against the wall near the window.

Kadaj frowned. "No, I'm scared of flying."

"There really ain't much difference, babe."

The Remnant chuckled softly, peering at him through a delicate fringe of silver bangs. "Just stand guard and let me worry about the climbing, alright?"

Reno smiled with a nod. "Sorry, I'm just…"

"Worried?"

"Yeah." He knew he couldn't hide anything from Kadaj.

"Don't be. I'll be fine." Kadaj said just as Loz gave a soft whistle from below to tell him to start climbing down.

The redhead came up behind the youth and nuzzled his soft hair. "When you get to the ground, run as fast as you can to a secure area. I'll meet up with you once the coast is clear."

"Got it." Kadaj nodded, and Reno watched with held breath as the youth carefully, yet gracefully, began his decent to the ground below.

Reno remained in the bedroom alone to keep watch on the Remnant's escape from above. Hopefully, Rufus and the others would remain inside the bar long enough for the boys to make a run for it. He had no idea what Kadaj would do once they were out of harms way. Most likely, they'd have to leave the city for good and start a new life somewhere else. Reno guessed that wouldn't be too hard for the silver-haired trio. They were used to roaming from place to place. The only time they actually stayed settled in a certain spot was when they were invited to live at Seventh Heaven.

No matter where the Remnants went, Reno knew he would follow them. Hell, it's not like he had a place in this city anymore anyways. He had no home, no family, and no job. All he had was Kadaj, and he was not about to lose that too. He would follow his beautiful silver-haired lover to the end of Gaia and back. They just needed to get out of this damned city. Reno leaned against the wall and sighed deeply, trying to keep his racing heart from bursting out of his chest cavity. He was more nervous than the silver-haired trio had been, and he wasn't even the one on the run.

When the bedroom door suddenly swung open, Reno looked up, only to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun. He nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Hello Reno." Rufus smiled, his finger feathering against the trigger of the pistol. "How nice to see you again."

The redhead's eyes widened. "W-What the hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Reno took a small step back from the President's lethal aim. "I live here, yo. In case you didn't know, you firing me caused me to lose my apartment. I'd be living on the street if it wasn't for Cloud and the others taking me in."

Rufus nodded slowly. "Ah, I see…. Terribly sorry about firing you, but I really had no choice in the matter. It was either that or let Tseng blast your head off."

"Seems like a shitty fate, either way." Reno said, keeping his back to the window. He couldn't let Rufus go anywhere near it. Not until Kadaj and his brothers were gone.

"I just dropped in for a visit." The blonde President said sweetly, stepping closer to him. His blue eyes scanned the room like a hawk. "And to inform you that your little Remnant friends are back in the city."

Reno's breath hitched. "Is that so?"

"Indeed." The blonde smiled. "It seems they returned last night. For what reason, I cannot say. But witnesses all over Midgar have reported spotting them."

The redhead shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "That seems a bit odd, yo. They know the risks. Are you even sure it was them?"

"How many leather-clad young men do you know with silver hair?"

Reno shrugged. "Point taken."

The blonde sighed deeply, his aim never wandering from Reno's direction. "I tire of this game. You and I both know this conversation is just a waste of time." He cocked the gun. "Where are they, Reno?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, yo."

Rufus growled, pressing the barrel of the weapon between his ex-employee's eyes. "Do not play dumb with me, Reno. I have no patience for it. Where are they?"

Reno did not step away from the cold steel making contact with his forehead. "Not here."

The blonde sneered. "They were."

"You can't prove that."

Rufus stared deeply into the redhead's eyes. "I always liked you, Reno. You were always considered a good friend to me. Always loyal. I never hesitated to give you what you needed. But, I can easily throw all of that away and blow your head off right now if you continue to keep me from finding those boys."

"I ain't keeping you from anything." Reno said. "The Remnants were never here. I can't help you."

A sudden cry from outside jarred Reno's ears, causing him to jerk his head around and make a dash for the window. He felt his heart leap into his throat as he peered outside to see the cause of all the commotion.

His eyes widened. "No!"

Kadaj was in Tseng's grasp, thrashing and kicking and screaming like mad with a gun pointed right at his temple. The head-Turk held the wild teenager firm in his strong arms. Loz and Yazoo were already captured and held at gunpoint by Rude, Reeve, and Elena. They still had their weapons with them, but they didn't seem keen on using against the people who held their little brother's life in their hands. Cloud and the others stood around the scene with weapons drawn, shouting and pleading for the Remnants to be let go, but Tseng ignored them fully.

Reno spun around and glared at the blonde. "You…You were distracting me! You knew they were out there the whole time!"

Rufus smiled. "I am not an idiot, Reno." He motioned to the door, his gun still aimed perfectly between the redhead's eyes. "Come along."

Anger boiling through his veins, Reno reluctantly followed his ex-employer down the stairs and outside into the cold icy street where the entire scene was still taking place. Kadaj hadn't stopped struggling in Tseng's grasp, and his roars echoed through the early morning air.

"Let me go!" Kadaj screamed. "Get your hands off me you son of a bitch!"

Tseng growled, jabbing his gun harder against the youth's temple. "My, how the tables have turned. It's me controlling your fate now, you little brat, so you better behave or you'll get a head-full of lead."

Cloud looked over at Rufus, his buster sword held firm in his fist. "Rufus, enough! Kadaj and his brothers did nothing to deserve this."

"They escaped." Rufus said.

"That was my fault, yo!" Reno protested. "If you should punish anyone, punish me! Leave them alone!"

The blonde remained cool and unfazed. "Kadaj is a threat to this city. He could become Sephiroth at any given moment, and we are not about to risk putting every person in Gaia in danger because all of you care about him. He needs to be locked away in a place where we can keep a close eye on him."

"He's not an animal!" Vincent growled, his crimson eyes flashing dangerously. He, above all others, knew what it was like to be locked away in a laboratory.

"No, he is not." Rufus agreed. "He is far worse."

"You don't know him!" Yazoo screamed, thrashing as Elena grabbed hold of his arm. "You don't know what he's been through! He's suffering!"

"Then perhaps it would be better to put the poor child out of his misery." Tseng suggested, grazing the tip of the gun across Kadaj's pale cheek.

"Tseng! Back the hell off!" Reno roared.

"I'll kill you!" The youth screeched at the head-Turk. "I swear on my Mother, I will kill you!"

"Just try it, punk." Tseng growled into Kadaj's ear.

"Rufus…" Reeve said softly from his spot beside Loz. "Perhaps we should just leave them. If it's taken this long and Sephiroth still hasn't emerged, maybe there is hope for the boy."

Reno looked at the President, hope glistening in his eyes.

"No." Rufus shook his head. "All this time without the transformation only means Sephiroth could emerge at any given second. The Jenova cells should have taken over Kadaj's body by now. All that's left to do is wait it out."

"Can't they wait it out in freedom?" Tifa asked. "Not locked away in some cold room?"

"I'm afraid not." The blonde stated. "Kadaj is just too dangerous to be wandering about the city. You may as well give Sephiroth an all-access pass and tell him he's free to do what he pleases with Gaia. And you all know how that will turn out." He sighed. "I don't enjoy doing this, but I have no other choice. I need to keep my city safe. The boy needs to be held in an enclosed space."

"No!" Reno shouted, his fists clenched at his sides as he faced Rufus. "I will not let you lock him away! Sephiroth has already put him through enough. He's already going to take my Kaddy from me! We don't need you making things worse!"

Rufus remained emotionless. "I'm sorry, Reno."

"No you're not." The redhead spat. "I always trusted you. You were always one of my closest friends. I looked up to you. But now…"

"Sir!" Tseng suddenly shouted.

When Reno spun around towards the source of the shout, he was horrified to see that Kadaj was no longer standing anymore. Instead, he was slumped over in Tseng's arms, completely limp. His body was shaking violently too, making it difficult for Tseng to hold him up.

"Kaddy!" The redhead cried out, running towards the youth.

"What's wrong with him?" Tseng shouted, trying to still the convulsing swordsman.

"He's seizing!" Reno said. "Let him go!"

"How do I know this isn't a trick?" Tseng asked suspiciously.

"Tseng!" Rufus shouted. "Let go of Kadaj!"

When Tseng did so, Kadaj collapsed into Reno's outstretched arms. The redhead dropped to his knees onto the snowy ground and held the convulsing youth against his chest. Kadaj was still somewhat conscious, and he clung to the collar of the redhead's shirt with a pained expression strewn across his fingers. Loz and Yazoo, who had managed to break away from the Turks, came over and dropped to the ground beside their little brother.

"Brother…" Yazoo grabbed hold of Kadaj's trembling hand.

The youth looked up at them all with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open in a silent scream. Reno felt his heart ache, and he cradled Kadaj close.

"I got you, baby." He whispered while he pet the boy's soft hair. "I'm here. They can't touch you. I won't let them."

Everyone crowded around the small group huddled in the snow. Kadaj continued to seize violently, his small body jerking and thrashing about uncontrollably. His cries and whimpers blended in with the whirring winter wind blowing around them. Reno felt ridiculously cold, but he refused to budge from his position. He could not - would not - let go of Kadaj.

Yuffie tugged on Cid's shirt. "Somebody needs to get a doctor! We can't just stand here and let him suffer!"

"There ain't nothin' you can do." Cid frowned grimly. "There ain't no cure for what Kadaj has."

"So...we're just going to wait for him to die?" Yuffie asked in horror.

Reno tightened his hold on the shaking Remnant in his arms as he waited for someone to answer. No one did. Thank God.

To the redhead's surprise, Rufus suddenly approached them and kneeled beside the youth. His white suit blended in so well with the snow around them, you had to squint just to look at him. He placed a gentle hand on Kadaj's armoured shoulder and whispered softly, "Kadaj, what do you feel?"

"P-Pain…" The young Remnant breathed through his agony. "All over my body. It hurts so m-much!"

Reno kissed his sweaty brow. "Shh…I know, Kaddy. I know."

"Do you feel Sephiroth near?" The President continued to ask. "Is he speaking to you?"

Kadaj clenched his teeth with a small cry. "N-No…he's not saying…a-anything."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Loz asked, his Mako eyes already wet with tears.

"I don't think so." Rufus said. "He's up to something."

Cloud ran his fingers nervously over the hilt of his buster sword as he locked his eyes on Kadaj's form. "Let's wait and see just what it is."

Reno whimpered and tightened his grip on Kadaj. The youth brought a gloved hand up to weakly touch his cheek, and the ex-Turk held it to the side of his face. He gently pressed a kiss to Kadaj's palm and stared down into those stunning Mako orbs. The agony swimming through them was immense. Kadaj was in so much pain. He would do anything if he could just make it all stop.

When the youth let out a fierce cry, Reno felt his heart leap.

"Brother!" Yazoo gasped at the way the way the teen arced his back into an almost impossible position. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"My back!" He screamed, keeping his spine arced. "Oh dear Mother, my back! It burns! It hurts so much!"

The redhead panicked and placed a hand on Kadaj's leather-clad back. He felt no wetness of blood. There were no cuts or tears in the leather, or unusual formations in his skin. Nothing seemed to be wrong. What on earth was happening?

"Kaddy…" He tried to remain calm. "Baby, please, talk to me. What do you feel?"

The youth whimpered and tears poured down his cheeks. "My…my…"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Kadaj gave a bloodcurdling cry of agony as his back was suddenly torn open and a single brilliant black angel wing unfurled itself from his flesh.

Reno's heart stopped.

Oh God, no…


	21. Sweet Sacrifice

**C H A P T E R - T W E N T Y - O N E**

Kadaj couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. Everything was a blur. The world was spinning around him. He was drowning in a sea of emotions and pain. The skin surrounding the area where the wing had appeared burned in the freezing wind. He could feel the warm sickening wetness of his own blood roll down his back, soaking the leather. The snow was stained red beneath him. He could feel himself slipping, fading into the darkness, but he held back. No, no he would not surrender. He couldn't.

Around him, the blurry forms of his friends and family moved in. They were saying things, but Kadaj could hardly make it out. It all sounded muffled, like he was underwater. It was just a sea of shadows and colours. He could feel strong arms folded around his body, and he immediately knew they belonged to Reno. Yet, he could hardly see his redheaded lover. He could hardly feel him. He was…numb.

Deep inside him, his mother's cells coursed through his veins. They burned and melted his insides like they were acid. The pain was excruciating. He felt as though he would go mad if the agony continued. It fried his mind and made his heart race. He couldn't stop it. Couldn't control it. Sephiroth's presence was stronger now. It was so close, the young Remnant felt it envelop his very being. He was taking over his mind, body, and soul. He was killing him.

"Baby?" Reno's voice was a little more understandable now. It cracked with worry and panic. "Oh God, baby, no! Kadaj, please talk to me. Say something!"

Kadaj blinked a bit to try and get his vision to clear. "R-Reno…"

He felt the redhead lean in and kiss his lips softly. His hands were shaking. "I'm here, Kaddy."

The youth groaned, feeling as though his brain might explode right out of his skull. "…Reno…h-he's…he's coming…"

"Shh…" Reno held him tightly. "Don't talk like that. It's going to be okay, baby, I promise you. It's going to be okay."

Kadaj shook his head. "N-No…"

Reno kissed him again, deeper. He felt a warm wetness hit his face, and he guessed the ex-Turk was most definitely crying. Kadaj reached a hand up to gently brush the tears away.

"It's going to be alright, Kadaj." Reno whispered gently. "You're strong. You can beat this, babe. I know you can. Fight him."

Kadaj clutched his lover's shoulders, crying out as another electric shock coursed through his body. He whimpered. "I…I can't…"

"Yes you can!" This time it was Yazoo who argued. He felt his older brother grab his hand. "You're the strongest, Kadaj. The strongest one out of all of us. You always were. You, of all people, can beat him. Please…"

Kadaj's breath hitched through the pain. He couldn't even think anymore. Is mind felt like a television screen without reception; fuzzy and unreadable. The single black wing on his back swayed on its own accord. He wasn't even the one controlling it. It was Sephiroth. There was nothing he could do. Nothing he could say that could make everything just magically go away. Sephiroth was in control now. He was the stronger being. Just like he'd always been.

No. No, Kadaj would not let him win. He could not let him win. That maniacal bastard was not going to take over him again! He would thwart his plans. He would be the one with the last word, even if he had to lose everything to do it. There was no other choice.

He looked up into Reno's eyes. "…Reno, you n-need…you need to stop him from…c-coming out..."

"How?" Reno asked desperately. "That's what I've been trying to figure out, Kaddy. How do I stop him?"

Weakly, Kadaj looked over at his brothers, who were sitting very close to him. The snow blew through their silver locks, and made the leather on their strong bodies creak. Lifting his weak arm, Kadaj reached a hand over and grabbed Velvet Nightmare, which was attached to Yazoo's belt.

Yazoo blinked. "What are you doing?"

Kadaj didn't answer him. Instead, he placed the pistol in Reno's hand, and led the barrel up to his own head. "You…you have to kill me."

"What!" Reno shouted, pulling the gun away. "No! Kaddy, I will not do that!"

"Are you insane?" Loz gaped at him. "We're trying to keep you from being killed, brother!"

Yazoo gripped Kadaj's hand. "No one is killing you."

"Sephiroth is…" Kadaj muttered. "You have to beat him to it."

"No way in hell!" Reno shook his head. "Baby, I ain't killing you. I can't. There has to be another way!"

Kadaj grabbed Reno's wrist with all the strength he could muster. "R-Reno, listen to me. Sephiroth is going to t-take my…my body. I'm going to disappear, and you'll all have to d-deal with him. I can't…I can't let him t-touch you…I can't."

Reno began to shake wildly. He pulled the young Remnant against his chest. Kadaj could hear his heart race with panic. "No…no, God baby, no. Please, don't make me do this. I can't kill you. I can't lose you, Kaddy."

Kadaj groaned, his body trembling in agony. "…P-Please…please don't let me disappear…If you do this, S-Sephiroth will never return…there would be no other w-way…"

The ex-Turk began to sob bitterly into Kadaj's hair. "No…no, Kaddy, no. I need you…your brothers need you…"

Kadaj felt tears roll down his own cheeks as he looked over at his two older brothers. "You two…must take care of each other…"

"No…" Yazoo breathed, his green eyes wet. "No, brother…"

"We can't." Loz shook his head. "Not without you."

Kadaj whimpered at another wave of pain. "…I can feel him inside m-me…he's going to come out. P-Please…I don't want to disappear…"

"I will not be held responsible for your death!" Reno shouted through his tears.

The youth wrapped his weak arms around Reno's neck, whispering softly. "You won't, Reno. You would have s-saved me…you would have spared me the agony and torture. He's going to rip me apart. My body, my soul…he's going to take it. You can't let him…please…"

Reno clung to him. "W-What about me? What the hell am I supposed to do once you're gone? I can't live without you, Kadaj."

"Y-Yes you can…" Kadaj pressed a soft kiss to his ear. "I believe in you…you're strong, Reno. Stronger than you may think. I know you'll be okay…"

"No!" Reno sobbed. "No, I can't do it! Please…"

Kadaj's eyes rolled to the back of his head with a sharp gasp. The wing on his back shuddered and gave a soft flap. He pressed against Reno. "…You need to do it…he's so strong. I can't….I feel so tired…S-Save me. Save me, Reno…"

Reno bit his lip, tears still pouring down his cheeks. He stared deeply into Kadaj's eyes. The hand that still held the gun was shaking like mad. He lifted it slightly towards Kadaj, then immediately pulled back. "I can't…I can't do it."

"Yes you can…" Kadaj whispered. "R-Remember what you taught me. You have to be able to shoot n-no matter…what's happening. Block out everything. Every sound, every thought, and…e-every emotion. It's just you and the target."

Reno let out a loud sob and pressed their foreheads together. His tears fell onto the Remnant's face like rain. Kadaj closed his eyes and held his shaking form. Simply held him. He didn't know how much time he had left, but he just wanted to take a few small moments to hold the love of his life for the last time.

Reno's free hand slid up Kadaj's back, and the young Remnant instantly thought he was going to touch his wing. Instead, the familiar ring of his Souba being unsheathed jarred his ears and his eyes snapped open. The redhead stared down at him, the double-bladed sword clutched firmly in his fist. Before Kadaj could open his mouth, Reno placed the hilt of the sword in his young lover's hand and pointed the gleaming blades straight at his own stomach.

"If you go, I go with you."

Kadaj's eyes widened. "N-No…no, Reno, don't do that. Don't end your life because of me."

"Without you, there is no life to live." Reno's voice was low, and weak. "I've lost everything I ever had. My home, my job, everything. I'm not about to lose you too. I would sooner die than let you go."

The Remnant's hand shook around the hilt. His heart raced. Never before had he felt such hesitation about killing someone. Before, he wouldn't think twice about driving Souba into the body of an enemy. Of the few things in the world he was afraid of, killing wasn't one of them. But now…he couldn't do this. Not this. Anything but this! Not Reno. Not his Reno.

Gleaming Mako eyes locked themselves onto powder blue orbs. Kadaj could almost see right into Reno's soul. He was in pain. He didn't want to live anymore. He was suffering just as much as he was. His beautiful Reno needed saving too.

Clenching his eyes shut, Kadaj gave the sword a quick jerk upward, driving the double blades straight through his lover's body. Reno gave a choked gasp, his body stiffening at the sudden intrusion of cold steel running through his stomach. His warm crimson blood ran down the blades, soaking Kadaj's gloved hand. The youth opened his eyes and stared up at the dying redhead. His heart almost shattered.

What had he done?

A gentle smile crossed Reno's lips and he slumped forward, pressing their bodies together despite the fact that the sword still remained between them. Kadaj could see the tips of Souba sticking out of Reno's back. They were stained red.

Kadaj buried his face in Reno's neck. "I'm sorry…"

Reno silenced him with a tender kiss, bringing the gun up and pressing it against the youth's temple. "Don't be. This…this is what I want. I need to be together with you…no matter what."

Kadaj turned his head to look at Yazoo and Loz, who had been watching the entire spectacle in horrified silence. The blood had drained from both their faces. He reached out and closed his hand over Yazoo's, squeezing weakly. "G-Goodbye…my brothers…"

Yazoo's eyes swam with tears. His mouth moved to speak, but no words came out. Noticing his distress, Loz placed his hand on top of theirs. "Goodbye, Kadaj…" he said softly.

At that instant, Yazoo leaned in and kissed Kadaj's brow. His voice was barely audible through his tears. "W-We will always love you, brother."

Kadaj gave a weak smile and looked back over at Reno, who was growing weaker by the second. He looked barely strong enough to hold himself up. His blood still poured from his wound and onto Kadaj's leather-clad body. The youth could still feel cold metal pressed against his temple.

"I love you, Reno." Kadaj whispered.

The redhead smiled. "I love you too, baby. I will see you soon."

Reno kissed him, deep and passionate. Kadaj slid his eyes shut and tasted his lover, his best friend, his whole world. He tasted him and savoured this last moment of life with him. Even as he felt Sephiroth's life force build in his body, threatening to tear him apart at any moment, Kadaj felt no fear. He felt no pain. Only the sweet warm taste of his beloved Reno on his tongue. So perfect…

With the blast of the gunshot, everything around the young Remnant disappeared in an instant. Every sight, every sound, every smell, every ounce of pain vanished without a trace, leaving only a deep peaceful silence and the ever lingering feel of Reno's kiss still on his lips.

At last, they were at peace.

* * *

The echo of the gunshot still hung in the air, even after the two lovers were finally gone. Yazoo stared silently at their bodies entangled together in an everlasting embrace against the blood-stained snow.

There were soft sounds coming from the surrounding group of friends as the realization of what they just beheld finally hit them. Nothing but soft sobs and shaky whispers. Yazoo barely heard them as he looked down at his fallen brother.

Loz was deathly quiet as well, which was unusual for him. He was always the emotional one, but this time there wasn't even a slight sob coming from his direction. Yazoo would have almost questioned if he was even there, but the feel of a strong arm wrapping around his waist was proof enough. Loz was still with him.

"He looks…peaceful." Loz whispered softly after a long silence. "Like he's sleeping."

Yazoo nodded slowly, eyeing Kadaj's angelic face slightly hidden beneath a fringe of silver hair. The black wing that once stuck out of his back had disappeared, giving everyone the sign that Sephiroth had finally gone. Reno lay snug in the crook of the young Remnant's neck, having bled out only seconds after the trigger was pulled. He seemed to have held on to the last shred of his life for one more moment so he could finally free Kadaj from Sephiroth's grasp. And he had done just that.

The morning sun shone brightly over them, accompanied by the gentle sounds of a city waking from its slumber. The start of a new day for some, the end of suffering for others. None of these citizens would ever know how close they came to feeling Sephiroth's darkness. No one would ever know the sacrifice Kadaj and Reno had made together to prevent it. To save them all.

No one but them.

"Sleep, my brother." Yazoo breathed with a soft smile, feeling that somehow, someway, Kadaj could still hear him. "You are free at last."

**T H E - E N D **


End file.
